


Lilith Rebellion

by Solar151



Category: Diabolik Lovers, 終わりのセラフ | Owari no Seraph | Seraph of the End
Genre: Asexual Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I said I would fix it but I didn't say it would be easy, LGBTQ Themes, Spitefic, Useless Lesbians, but this is 100 percent wholesome lesbians I promise, in the most epic way possible, it wouldn't be a spitefic otherwise, still some tragic stuff though, takes place one year before the ONS apocalypse, tearing down the patriarchy, this gets pretty harsh towards the guys because I don't like them so fair warning there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-04-28 13:42:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14450469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solar151/pseuds/Solar151
Summary: After Yui is saved from a predicament at her first day at school by a girl named Amaya, the two become fast friends. However, Yui soon finds out that she was actually sent by the vampire Queen, Krul Tepes, to conduct surveillance against a rival faction.As luck would have it, Amaya is sympathetic towards her situation and offers to help her escape and reunite with her father.The two then stumble upon a possible conspiracy concerning Yui's true identity that could affect the balance of the entire vampire world.This is the story of the love that grows between two girls as they fight to change fate...(AKA: I'm going to elope with Yui and nobody can stop me)





	1. Declaration of War

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Ao3! Welcome to my first ever fic! In honor of it being lesbian day I am finally unleashing this upon the world. I am not sorry. 
> 
> Long story short, I stumbled upon this on accident a few years ago, got pissed, and decided to fix it. (Didn't know I was a lesbian at the time, but everything makes sense now....)
> 
> I crossed it over with Owari no Seraph because I don't remember the plot very well and I don't feel like looking it up. But since this takes place before the apocalypse, there aren't very many noticeable changes. It's quite a complicated cross-over method (it's DL stuck inside the OnS world and made to work by OnS rules with my own unique spin when needed). But that being said, you don't necessarily need to see either to understand this fic because I made sure to explain any world-building details. (Also it works...weirdly well. Don't ask me why, you'll find out.)
> 
> And on one last note. Diabolik Lovers is known for being extremely non-con (to put it lightly) (also that's why I hate it). I can assure you that the romance between Yui and Amaya in this is not like that at all. I made sure to keep it super fluffy for a maximum middle finger towards the source material (Not OnS though, that's ok). There are still some dark themes but it's not that kind (gotta make your ocs suffer...). Of course, with the characters being...like that...I couldn't remove the creepiness completely. So there's some brief/occasional vague mentions of/prevented non-con actions. Although, this fic has a strict anti-non-con stance so I don't think it will be a problem, but I'll warn just in case. And again, this gets pretty harsh towards the guys because I don't like them so fair warning there. Don't complain to me about that because I don't care.
> 
> Basically, if you hate Diabolik Lovers, odds are you'll like this fic! This is going adapt the first three main games, so it's going to be fairly long. I'm estimating around 20+ chapters?
> 
> Okay, enough rambling. Enjoy!

The sounds of dripping water echoed through the darkness of the concrete corridor. Gradually, the clicking of boot heels mixed with the rhythm of the water as a girl in a white military uniform entered, her face obscured by the hood of her cloak. She stopped, sensing something. Quiet groans began to join the sounds of water, growing closer. The girl calmly drew her sword from her hip, the slightly curved blade reflecting the dim light of its surroundings. It was then that the dead began shuffling into sight. There was no signs of decay as they appeared to have died recently. Despite their movement, the blankness in their eyes and inability to form words made it obvious that they were no longer alive. The girl quickly took note of their numbers and advanced forward, her hood falling back to reveal her long black hair and cat-like red eyes. Within a moment, she crossed the distance and the nearest lost its head. Many more followed suit as her blade continued to flash until the floor was littered with unmoving bodies. When the last one fell, the girl flicked her sword to the side to remove the excess blood and returned it to its sheath. She exhaled slowly as another set of footsteps approached from the direction she came. A tall man with long silver hair tied in a ponytail stepped into view, clapping slowly.

“Skilled as always I see,” he commented. The girl didn’t reply. 

“I’m quite lucky to have the Queen’s favorite protect me today,” he continued to muse.

The girl turned suddenly, a dagger sprung from her hand and flew past the man’s face to impale itself into between the eyes of the undead behind him. It fell backwards and hit the ground with a dull thud.

“It’s not like a seventh progenitor really needs my protection, Ferid Bathory.” She brushed past him without a glance and knelt to retrieve her dagger.

“Cold as always too, Amaya Yuuki.” The man named Ferid waited as the girl stood and sheathed her dagger behind her back.

“Well,” Amaya asked, “where’s the target?”

“He should be in one of the offices up ahead,” Ferid replied as he moved to the side. “The escort should take the lead.”

Amaya walked past him without a word and the two continued through the complex. They encountered no other creatures as they arrived in front of a thick metal door. Through the small window, it appeared to have been heavily barricaded with furniture.

Ferid gestured towards the door. “If you would be so kind”

Amaya sighed in annoyance and forcefully kicked the door. The items holding it closed crashed to the floor loudly as the door swung open, revealing a dimly lit office space. Ferid strode in first. They eventually came to a large desk near the back of the room. Amaya sensed a person cowering underneath. 

A middle aged man jumped out from under the desk, gun in hand. “Don’t come any closer!” He yelled. 

Amaya sprang forward to knock the weapon from his grip. She quickly slammed him to the wall, pinning him by his neck. The man gave a frightened yelp.

“This is him?” She prompted Ferid for confirmation.

Ferid nodded. “Yes, looks like it.” 

He stepped closer towards the man. “So, you’re the scientist who tried to replicate the immortality of us vampires in humans artificially?”

The man was too afraid to reply.

“That’s strictly taboo, you know,” Ferid continued in his usual inappropriately cheerful tone. “What’s more, you failed and created those mindless corpses. Do you realize what disasters that could have caused if they had escaped from here?”

The man began to whimper quietly.

Ferid smiled amusedly. “Lucky for you, us true vampires were able to stop you. However, you’ll still need to come with us and repent for your crimes.”

He spoke to Amaya next. “We’ll be taking him back to Sanguinem.”

Amaya nodded and shifted her grip to the man’s arm. She followed Ferid out of the complex, pulling the scientist along. Soon, they reached the surface and the man was hauled into a military styled vehicle by another vampire belonging to their unit. Amaya watched quietly as she leaned against a different car, lost in thought. A different unit should be thoroughly checking the area for any surviving experimental subjects to eliminate. Afterwards, they would head back to Kyoto, under which the third vampire capital of Sanguinem had been built long ago.

Her gaze flicked to side as Ferid approached her. “Good work today,” he began.

Amaya looked forward again, “You need something?” she asked bluntly.

Ferid made a pouting face. “So mean. Anyway, I have a message for you from the Queen.” He paused to wait for a response, then continued. “She is assigning you a new mission and you are to report to the throne room once you return.”

“Understood,” Amaya replied flatly.

*** 

A few hours later, Amaya strode through the grand doors that led to the throne room of the vampire Queen. She stopped before her, and knelt politely on the plush red carpet. “You called for me, my Queen?”

“There’s no need for such formality, Amaya,” the Queen spoke in a friendly tone.

Amaya got to her feet to face the young looking girl with floor length pink hair who sat on the throne, “My apologies, Krul-sama.” 

Krul Tepes tilted her head, “Anyway, as you know, I’m assigning you a new mission. One of the European progenitors has moved several members of his faction into Japan, my territory. He has always been resentful of my rule, so this may be a threat.”

“You want me to eliminate them?” Amaya asked.

The Queen shook her head. “No, not yet. For now, I’m sending you to their location to observe and report any suspicious activity.”

Confusion crossed her face, “Espionage? You should know that I am typically sent on combat missions. Isn’t there someone else that is more suitable for this task?”  
Krul shook her head, “No, it has to be you. The targets are attending a high school. You were sixteen when I turned you, right? You’re also Japanese. That means, you’ll blend in.”

Amaya began to protest, but was silenced at a look from Krul. “If this really is a challenge to my rule, I need to send someone I can trust. Of the few I can, you’re the only one who can infiltrate this setting. Understood?”

“Fine.” Amaya sighed in defeat. “If you put it that way, I can’t exactly refuse.”

“Good.” Krul rose from her throne and stepped down from the dais to hand over a file. “Here’s the information you need on the targets. Review it by tomorrow. You’ll leave then.”

“Understood.” Amaya turned to leave.

“And one more thing,” Krul continued. “You are to observe only, so make sure they don’t find out you’re a vampire. Don’t interact and _definitely_ don’t kill them until you receive the order from me. If there is no threat, it would provoke unnecessary political tensions.”

Amaya gave one last nod before exiting the room the way she came.

*** 

Yui finished the final adjustments to her new school uniform and let out a long sigh. How had she ended up in such a ridiculous situation? First, her father had announced out of the blue that he would be leaving for Eastern Europe to answer an urgent Church summons. On top of that, he’d refused to let her come along and had instructed her to stay with a supposed estranged relative.

The address her father had given her had led her here, but surely there had to have been a mistake. There was no way her father would send her to live with people so strange. Upon arrival, she had discovered that the house was the residence of six brothers. They had treated her quite rudely and had gone so far as to claim to be vampires and demand that she provide them with blood. Yui wasn’t sure how much she believed that, but it was enough to make her think that there was something very wrong with them.

And that wasn’t all. Yui looked over at her nightstand to the journal that she had found earlier. It appeared to be a diary written by her father, but what was it doing here? She couldn’t believe he would actually have any relation to these people. But what was more concerning was what the journal said. According to its contents, the man who had raised her wasn’t her real father. 

Of course, there was no telling whether it was true or not. And if it was, it hadn’t mentioned anything about who her real family was. Yui sighed in annoyance. It wasn’t like she could contact her father and ask. Thanks to a certain someone who had broken her cell phone for no apparent reason.

Yui looked down at the purple blazer and skirt that made up her new uniform. It felt weird going to school this late at night, but the transfer paperwork had already been completed so she didn’t see any other option than to attend for now. Besides, she welcomed any chance to get out of this house.

Facing the door, Yui took out her silver rosary and clutched it to her chest. Silently, she prayed that God would give her the strength she needed to face whatever was to come. She then took a deep breath and made a determined expression. No matter what, she was going to get out of here, contact her father, and figure out the truth. With that thought in mind, Yui opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

*** 

Amaya let out frustrated sigh as she sat down heavily at her usual seat on a hallway window sill. A whole term had passed since she had begun attending school as a first year through Krul’s resources and, for lack of a better word, it was boring. She pulled out a novel from her school bag and began reading silently. Following Krul’s orders had been simple since none of her assigned targets paid any attention to her. They seemed much too self-absorbed for that. Resting the back of her head against the window in exasperation, Amaya silently wished for the kill order to come from Krul soon so she could quit playing schoolgirl and go home.

Her eyes flicked discreetly to the window as she heard the opening of a car door. There was still a while before classes would start, and this spot provided a perfect view of the drop off area outside. She counted, one, two, three, four, five, six. Just as usual. Amaya snapped her book shut and was about to stand when she noticed a seventh person getting out of the car. A petite blonde girl whose wavy hair reached her shoulders. That was new. Despite the distance, Amaya could see how tense she looked. Quickly gathering her things, Amaya made her way to the ground floor. She had to find out who that was. 

Keeping to the side of the hallway, Amaya walked towards the blonde girl with her head down. As they were about to pass each other, she inhaled slightly and widened her eyes in shock. 

A human?

Amaya continued towards her classroom and settled at her desk, questions forming in her mind. What relation would a human have to her targets? This was obviously something she needed to report to the Queen. Or should she wait until she had more information? Not that Krul’s restrictions would allow her to gather any. Before she knew it, classes had ended and the students began heading home. 

Still lost in thought, Amaya wandered the halls on the way to the entrance as she considered her options. To be honest, it could be nothing. Even so, her expression turned uneasy as she recalled the look on the girl’s face. It almost seemed as if she was calling for help.

A sudden crash followed by a startled yelp pulled Amaya out of her thoughts. What was that?

“What are you doing? Don’t touch me!”

“Come on, I said I was hungry.”

Amaya froze, the voices were coming from the classroom to her right. She silenced her footsteps and flattened her back against the wall next to the door. Turning her head slightly, she glanced through the window on the classroom door. It was the blonde girl she had seen earlier with one of the targets, the annoying one with red hair. It did not look good. She watched the girl cry out as her wrist was forcibly grabbed.

“No, stop it! Let me go!”

“Just shut up.”

Tearing her eyes away, Amaya focused angrily on the floor. Now what was she supposed to do? Krul had ordered her not to approach them. But there was no way that she was going to leave someone in trouble.

More sounds of struggle.

Amaya tightened her grip on her bag. _Damn it._ She spun towards the door. There had to be a way.

*** 

Yui couldn't believe this was happening. She'd tried her best to push him away, but Ayato had overpowered her easily and now had her pinned to a desk. This level of strength was definitely not human. Did that mean he really was a vampire? She yelped as she felt the bow of her uniform being pulled away, exposing her neck. It seemed like he really was going to drink from her. Yui continued trying to struggle but couldn't move. Closing her eyes in fright, she screamed out in her mind for help.

 _Thwack._ There was a pained grunt and Yui felt the weight lifted off her followed by the heavy sound of a body falling to the floor. What just happened?

“Are you okay?” A girl’s voice.

Yui opened her eyes. Sure enough, a girl with long black hair reaching almost to her waist stood in front of her, a heavy looking textbook in her hands. She had a concerned expression.

“Um, yes, I think so,” Yui pushed herself off the desk and started straightening her uniform. Looking up, she began getting a better look at the girl who had just saved her.

She was about her height, perhaps a little shorter, and wore the standard purple blazer over a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a loose black tie, marking her as a student. Instead of a skirt, she wore black shorts and thigh high stockings with lace up combat boots that reached mid-calf. The style of dress made her look a bit like a troublemaker, and yet there was something about her that seemed dependable.

“Thanks for helping me,” Yui began, “you are?”

The girl glanced at the textbook still raised in her hands and awkwardly began stuffing it back into her bag. “Sorry, I guess I should introduce myself.” She looked back up, “Amaya Yuuki, I’m a first year.” 

“Yui Komori, second year. I just transferred here today,” she replied.

Amaya smiled gently, “Yui-senpai then.” She looked down at the floor with a grimace. “You know this guy?”

Yui followed her gaze to where Ayato lay unconscious on the floor. She winced, this was going to be hard to explain. “It’s complicated. He’s okay, right?”

“Probably,” Amaya replied with a shrug. “And what do you mean by ‘complicated’?”

“Well…,” Yui wondered how much she should say about her situation, “it’s a bit of a long story.”

Amaya nodded, “We can talk about it somewhere else then.” She turned towards the door and looked back, “You coming?”

“Oh, right!” Yui grabbed her bag and hurried after Amaya. In any case, it was probably best if neither of them were here when he woke up.

*** 

“What! That’s awful!”

Yui tried to ignore the annoyed glances that Amaya’s outburst had attracted. The two were now seated across from each other at a table elsewhere in the school. Yui had just finished explaining how she had ended up living with the Sakamakis. Of course, she’d left out the part about them being vampires. As nice as Amaya seemed, there was no way she’d believe it. Although, if calling it “bullying” made her this mad, Yui began to wonder how Amaya would react if she knew the whole truth.

“Do you have to deal with that at home too then!?” Amaya looked absolutely livid.

Yui looked down at the table, “Well…” She couldn’t find the words to answer.

That just seemed to make her angrier. Amaya leaned back, glaring at nothing in particular. “Next time I see him, I’ll punch him in the face.”

Yui blinked. Did she just imply starting a fight? Sure, she’d had the element of surprise earlier today but…Yui had a horrifying image of how that might turn out.  
“No, don’t do that!” Yui fixed Amaya with a serious expression. 

Amaya looked at her in confusion. “Why not? He definitely deserves it.”

Yui shook her head, “Maybe, but you can’t fight him or any of them."

Amaya pouted slightly, “I could take them.”

“No, you can’t.” Yui sighed, thinking of what to say. “This is my problem and I don’t want you to get hurt because of me. Trust me, you can’t underestimate them.”  
That seemed to work. Amaya took a breath and appeared to calm herself. “Isn’t there anything I can do? I know we just met, but I can’t help worrying.”

Well, being human, there wasn’t going to be much she could do. But maybe there was one thing. 

“Actually, do you think I could borrow your phone?” Yui asked. “I haven’t gotten a chance to contact my father. Maybe if I talk to him, this could get sorted out.”

“Oh, sure thing.” Amaya rummaged through her bag and retrieved her cell phone. After fiddling with it for a moment, she handed it over ready to dial.

Yui pulled out the memo her father had given her before leaving. With her own phone broken, she’d lost the contacts. But luckily, she still had his new number written down. Once she finished inputting the digits, she raised the phone to her ear and waited for her call to be picked up.

After what seemed like forever, there was finally a click. “Fath—!” Yui cried out before stopping herself. It had gone to an automated voicemail. Well, her father would have just arrived. Maybe he was just busy getting settled. Or could he still be on the plane? Yui decided to just leave a message for now. She quickly explained that there seemed to be a mistake regarding the place he had told her to stay and to get back to her as soon as possible. 

Hanging up in disappointment, Yui returned the phone to Amaya. It seemed that she would have to stay there at least until her father called back. She didn’t like the idea, but all she could do was wait.

“I’ll make sure to let you know if your father calls back.” Amaya tried reassuring her. “Are you sure there isn’t anything else I can do?”

If only. Although Yui doubted her problems could be chased away by someone wielding a textbook. But, seeing the genuine concern in Amaya’s eyes, Yui couldn’t help but smile.

“I’ll be fine. You’ve done more than enough. I’m sure my father will call back soon and just having at least one friend at school helps a lot.”

“Friend?” Now it was Amaya’s turn to look surprised.

Yui turned away, “Sorry, I just assumed…”

Amaya made a flustered gesture. “No, I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just,” She smiled sadly, “I’m not good with people, so I’ve never had a friend before.”

“Well, you have one now.” Yui glanced at the time. She wanted to stay with Amaya longer, but if she didn’t go back they would come looking for her. And the last thing she wanted was for them to hurt her new friend for helping her. “I have to go, but I’m glad I could meet you.” 

“Yeah, same here.”

With one last smile, Yui took her bag and headed off. She’d prayed for help earlier, so could meeting Amaya be the fulfillment of that? If so, then maybe coming to school here wouldn’t be so bad after all.

*** 

It was still dark when Amaya returned to her apartment. Leaning against the glass doors to the balcony, she took out her mobile phone and began to dial. Placing it to her ear, she waited, listening to the dial tones. Within a few seconds, a click signaled that the call had been picked up.

“Hello, Krul-sama. I have something to report.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaha....you have no idea how much I wanted to do that. Punch a vampire, get a cute girlfriend. Make your dreams come true!  
> Yeah, this'll be a wild ride so stay tuned!  
> And here's Amaya's profile or whatever just because.  
> ====  
> Amaya Yuuki（結城　雨夜）  
> Age: 16  
> Birthday: June 26th  
> Height: 155cm  
> A mysterious girl who befriends Yui. She was actually sent by the vampire Queen to spy on the Sakamakis. Confident in her strength, she is highly skilled in Japanese swordsmanship. A warrior at heart, she only views her vampire powers as a weapon to use in battle. She seems determined to protect Yui for some reason…  
> ====


	2. Princess and her Moonlit Knight

Class had finished a few minutes earlier as Yui walked through the school halls on the way to the library. She’d quickly discovered that it was completely impossible to concentrate on her homework at the house and had decided to finish everything at school first. Honestly, if they were going to take her blood, they could at least let her maintain her GPA. Yui sighed in frustration as she wondered how much longer she would have to stay there. 

At least it seemed that Ayato had ended up with a slight lapse in memory via head injury. Thanks to that, she hadn’t had to mention her new friend. Yui smiled a little as her thoughts drifted towards the girl named Amaya who she had met yesterday. She didn’t want to get her mixed up in her problems, but it still would be nice to see her again.

No sooner had she thought that, Yui noticed a familiar face approaching from the opposite direction as she turned the corner towards the entrance to the library.

“Amaya-san!” Yui called out to the person she had just been thinking of and hurried over to her. 

The other girl looked up in surprise and waved back in recognition. “Yui-senpai, it’s good to see you again.”

“Yeah. By the way, have you heard back from my father yet?” Yui asked hopefully. His flight had to have landed by now, so maybe he had gotten her message.

“Not yet, sorry.” Amaya began to look concerned again, “Are you doing okay at home?”

Yui’s voice failed her as she looked at the floor, which seemed to be sufficient answer.

Amaya waved her hands in apology, “Ah, never mind. You don’t have to talk about it.” She paused for a moment, “You’re going to the library?”

“Yeah, I was planning on finishing my homework here,” Yui explained.

“Well, I’m not busy, so I can keep you company if you want.”

“Sure, I’d like that,” Yui replied, her smile returning.

As they entered the library, Yui was immediately taken by surprise at how expansive it was. 

“Amazing,” she said to herself as she marveled at the shelves of books that reached as far as the eye could see.

“You like books?” Amaya asked from beside her.

“Yeah,” Yui spoke excitedly. “I just love reading. You don’t have to go anywhere and yet…”

“You can visit so many different worlds,” the two completed the sentence in unison.

Pleased to find that they had something in common, Yui returned her smile.

“If you’d like, I can show you around,” Amaya offered. “Maybe make some recommendations.”

“You would? That’d be great!” The idea of getting lost exploring such a vast collection of books with Amaya made Yui’s heart soar with delight. However, one small detail put a damper on her mood. “Except that I have homework.”

“Next time then,” Amaya said and pointed to one side. “There’s some tables over there. Why don’t you find a seat and I’ll catch up?”

Nodding, Yui headed towards the study area and spread her homework out on an empty table. She watched as Amaya dropped her books off at the front and began wandering among the book shelves. Yui smiled to herself and  
began working. Just knowing that Amaya was nearby somehow put her at ease. In fact, this was the safest she’d felt for a while. She had finished a few questions by the time she heard Amaya return and take the seat across from her.

Yui looked up as Amaya opened her book. “What are you reading?” she asked curiously.

“It's about a girl who's trying to find this prince she met when she was younger,” Amaya explained.

Yui made a sound of surprise. “You like that kind of thing?” Somehow that wasn’t the image she had of Amaya.

“Well,” Amaya flipped through the first few pages absentmindedly. “The main character is like me in some ways, so I find it easy to relate to.”

“You dream of marrying a prince on a white horse?” Yui giggled slightly. “That’s surprising, you don’t seem like the type.”

“What? No!” Amaya looked slightly offended. “She wants to find the prince because he inspired her to be strong and help people. That's the part I relate to.” She crossed her arms and frowned, “Besides, I have no interest in relying on  
a man for anything. I can stand on my own.”

Staring in awe at Amaya’s declaration, Yui couldn’t think of a reply. Although, something like that really did better suit the spirited girl.

After a few seconds, Amaya seemed to notice the silence and softened her expression. “Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so angry.”

“It didn’t,” Yui said with a shake of her head and smiled kindly at her. “I was just thinking how that sounded more like you.” 

Amaya seemed happy to hear that, “I’ll take that as a compliment. Anyway, it’s a really good story. I can lend it to you after I’m done.”

Intrigued by the description that Amaya had provided, Yui agreed to her suggestion and returned to her homework.

It was a few hours later when Yui wrote down the answer to the last question with satisfaction. She’d finished in record time. Looking up, she stifled a giggle. Apparently she’d been concentrating so hard, she hadn’t noticed that Amaya had fallen asleep. Her head and crossed arms rested on top of the open book she’d been reading. With her dark hair spilling across her shoulders and the table framing her calm sleeping face, she looked so peaceful that Yui almost didn’t want to wake her up. 

_How cute._ Still staring, Yui absentmindedly imagined how soft Amaya’s hair must feel to touch. Realizing that she was reaching forward, she stopped herself and shook her head. That would be weird. She opted reluctantly to poke her arm instead. “Amaya-san? Wake up,” she continued to nudge her gently.

She heard a few groggy grumbles as Amaya began to stir. Yui suddenly felt her stiffen. “Yes!” Amaya sat bolt upright and looked around in confusion. “Huh? What…”

“You fell asleep,” Yui explained. “I didn’t realize you were so tired.”

“Its fine,” Amaya yawned. “You’re finished?”

“Yup,” Yui began gathering her study materials. “I guess I should go home soon.”

Amaya tilted her head to the side and smiled, “I can walk with you to the entrance at least.”

“Okay.”

The two girls walked in a comfortable silence through the halls until they reached the entrance out to the street. 

“Thanks for today,” Yui said, turning to Amaya.

Amaya nodded back, “No problem. I’m going that way, so I guess this is goodbye.” She gestured towards the city.

“Wait!” Amaya turned back towards Yui, who looked at her hopefully. “Could we meet again tomorrow?” she finally asked.

Amaya replied with a cheerful smile that shone under the light of the street lamps, “Sure thing.”

***

Outside the library entrance, Yui stood waiting patiently. Amaya seemed to be a little late today. The two had been meeting here after school all week. Sometimes they’d talk about nothing in particular, sometimes just sit silently in each other’s company. Amaya had made good on her promise to show her around the library and Yui now had a sizable reading list. Even if it was just for a short time, she’d begun looking forward to these few hours of peace with her new friend. Just then, Yui heard the now familiar sound of Amaya’s footsteps drawing closer.

“Yui-senpai!” Amaya came to a stop and held a flyer out in front of her. “I got this on the way to school, what do you think?”

Yui took the other side of the flyer. “A sweets café?” she asked.

“Yeah,” there was excitement in Amaya’s voice. “It says that it’s for 50% off during their grand opening. You want to go?”

“Well,” Yui thought about it. “I don’t have homework today, but the café doesn’t open for another few hours, right?”

“Oh,” Amaya looked disappointed, appearing to realize that it was currently past midnight. “Right, I forgot. And you wouldn’t be able to go out.”

A spark of defiance formed in Yui’s heart, she hardened her expression. “No, I’m going. I can sneak out.”

Amaya widened her eyes, “Wait, you don’t need to—“

“I want to.” Yui felt determined. She wasn’t going to let a bunch of vampires stop her from spending time with Amaya. And if those cakes looked half as good as the advertisement made them look.

“Alright,” Amaya scanned the flyer. “They open at 9am, how about we meet there at noon for lunch?”

Yui nodded, “I can make it.” She shouldered her bag and smiled towards Amaya, “I’ll see you later then.”

***

A few hours later, Yui and Amaya were sitting across from each other at the café, enjoying their food. Sneaking out had been surprisingly easy, apparently vampires did sleep like the dead. She had changed into her usual pink sweater with black straps, brown shorts, and boots. Amaya was also out of uniform in an olive green jacket with lots of pockets over a black top and jean shorts. Her combat boots and stockings remained unchanged. A strange gold band glinted over her left upper arm. Some kind of fashion statement? Yui looked at her strawberry cake and tea. It was actually more expensive than she’d expected, even with the discount (Although the taste was definitely worth every yen). Amaya had said that she would pay for everything, which made Yui quite curious.

“Amaya-san, can I ask you something?” 

The girl in question looked up from her mango cake and fizzy fruit drink. “Yeah, what?”

“It’s just…you’ve never mentioned anything about your family.” A shadow appeared to cross Amaya’s face as she averted her gaze. Yui trailed off and looked at her in confusion. “Is something wrong?”

It was a few seconds before Amaya responded. “No, it’s just,” she tapped her fingers against the table as if in thought. She finally let out a breath she had been holding, “My parents died in an accident a long time ago.”

Yui looked at her in shock. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

Amaya shook her head, “It’s okay. My…aunt took me in afterwards. But, she’s away on business most of the time, so I don’t see her very often.”

“You live by yourself then?” Yui asked.

“Yeah,” Amaya continued to avoid her gaze and looked down. “I think my aunt moved me here to help me forget the past. But, I guess I’ve still had problems connecting with people since then.”

In contrast to her usual confidence, the sudden vulnerability in her voice caught Yui by surprise. She realized that she didn't really know much about Amaya. But even so, Yui couldn't help but feel drawn to her. Especially seeing the loneliness weighing on her face, she felt the desire to reach out to her in reassurance.

“Well, you aren’t alone anymore.” Yui reached across the table to take Amaya’s hand. She felt her tense up in shock but didn’t pull away. Locking eyes with her, Yui gave Amaya a smile. “I’m here with you now.”

Amaya was silent for a few moments, “Yeah, thanks.” She took back her hand, but her smile seemed a little less sad. “It’s getting a little late, do you need to go home?”

“Actually,” Yui pulled out her school bag from under the table, “I wasn’t sure I could sneak back without someone noticing. So I thought I could just spend the day with you until school starts tonight.”

Amaya’s eyes were wide with disbelief, “Uh, you sure about that?”

“Definitely.”

“Won’t you get in trouble?”

“It’ll work out.”

“Alright, fine.” Amaya let out a sigh, but Yui could tell she was happy. “What should we do next then?”

***

Walking through the halls, Yui could barely contain her happiness. She’d had a lovely day with Amaya earlier. Yui had come to school first since Amaya needed to go home to change. Class had just finished and Yui was on her way to meet her again.

However, as she neared the stairwell the skip in her step faltered. Ayato was standing there scowling. It looked like he was waiting for her. For a second Yui considered turning around and finding another way but decided against it. He'd already seen her so avoiding him would likely make things worse. Besides, she'd have to deal with it eventually, so the best way was to face him head on. Swallowing to steel her nerves, Yui quickened her pace as she continued forward. A few more steps and she had passed in front of him. He still hadn't said anything. Making it to the stairs, Yui hoped against all odds that she would be able to get by without incident. She was about to take a step down when.

"Where were you?"

Yui froze, her knuckles white as she gripped the banister. That tone didn’t sound good. She quickly weighed her options. Should she lie and make up some excuse? Maybe just ignore him and keep walking?

“Hey. I’m talking to you,” Ayato said, angrier this time. Probably because she hadn’t answered fast enough.

Feeling a twinge of annoyance, Yui decided to just tell the truth. She hadn’t done anything wrong so there was no reason to hide where she had gone.

“I went to see a friend,” she stated calmly as she turned towards him.

Ayato frowned, clearly not liking that answer. "And who said that you were allowed to have friends?"

“So I can’t even make friends now!?” Yui snapped, growing increasingly exasperated. “You don’t have the right to control me like this!”

For a moment, Ayato’s face was one of disbelief before it changed back to anger. “Seriously, what has gotten into you lately? You don’t get to talk to me that way.”

Yui bit her lip nervously. Okay, so maybe now wasn’t the best time to blow up at him, but this nonsense really was getting on her last nerve and she was not going to apologize.

“I guess I need to teach you a lesson,” he started to reach forward.

Realizing that he was trying to grab her, Yui felt a surge of panic.

"No!" she yelled sharply and instinctively shoved her hands out in front of her.

Ayato stumbled backwards with a grunt and looked at her in surprise. As if he couldn’t believe she’d had the audacity to push him.

Not staying to marvel over how that had actually worked, Yui turned and descended the stairs as fast as she could, taking them two at a time. Reaching the lower floor, she broke into a run. She heard him yell for her to wait but didn't look back.

***

Amaya closed the classroom door behind her as she stepped out into the hallway. She paused and stared at the open palm of her right hand before bringing it to her heart and closing her eyes. _Her hand had felt warm_. How long had it been since she’d felt that? She couldn’t quite name the pleasantly calm feeling growing in her chest, but for now she just wanted to be with her and feel that warmth again. Suddenly, the sound of rapid footfalls coming from her right made Amaya open her eyes. At that moment, she saw Yui running at full speed towards her. She looked frightened.

“Wha—?” Amaya didn’t have time to finish her sentence. Without slowing down, Yui grabbed her right hand and Amaya was pulled along.

Eventually, they came to an empty classroom. Yui skidded to a stop and threw open the door, dragging Amaya inside with her. Quickly closing the door, she led her towards the back where they would be out of sight. 

“Yui-senpai, what’s wrong?” Amaya asked in confusion. 

“We have to hide,” Yui stammered. She glanced behind Amaya at the door nervously, keeping a tight grip on her arm.

“What?” 

Before Yui could respond, Amaya heard the door open. 

“So this is where you went.” A male voice spoke from behind her.

Seeing Yui eyes widen in horror, Amaya turned around. It was one of her targets. The one she’d hit the day she met Yui, if she remembered correctly. What was his name again? Shu? Laito? No, Ayato. That was it.

“You know you can’t run.” He paused, noticing that Yui wasn’t alone. “And who’s this?”

Amaya was about to snap out something witty in reply when Yui suddenly stepped in front of her.

“Don't hurt her!” Yui exclaimed loudly. “She has nothing to do with this!” Amaya could see that her hands were shaking slightly, but she held her ground.

"So this is your friend," he made a sound of annoyance. “Fine, but you’re coming with me. And you’re not seeing her again.”

Yui tensed up upon hearing that, a numb expression on her face. It looked like she was desperately trying to think of some way to turn the situation around.

It was then that Amaya was struck with a realization. Yui had been trying to protect _her_ this whole time, even though she was the one in greater danger from actually having to live with them. She had never told her exactly what went on at home, but Amaya could make a pretty good guess. Remembering the strained look that Yui always made when the subject came up, she felt her hands curl into fists. Enough was enough. She wasn’t going to let Yui face everything alone anymore. This was going to end today.

“Leave her alone.” Amaya put herself between them. Keeping her right arm protectively in front of Yui, she fixed him with her glare.

Ayato narrowed his eyes at her, “What did you say?”

“Amaya-san…,” Yui spoke worriedly from behind her.

Glancing over her shoulder, Amaya gave Yui a reassuring smile before turning her glare back onto Ayato.

“You heard me.” She continued fiercely. “She clearly doesn’t want to go with you, so _leave_.”

“You’ve got some nerve.” Ayato said, his voice rising in volume. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

“I don’t care who you are. I won’t let you touch Yui-senpai.” She gritted her teeth in anger. “Now are you going to leave, or do I have to hurt you?”

“Okay, you asked for it,” he started winding up for a punch.

Time slowed down as Amaya sharpened her focus onto his fist, she registered Yui’s gasp from behind her. Raising her right arm in front of her, Amaya easily caught the punch with her open palm. The force of the impact ruffled her bangs slightly, but it felt like practically nothing.

“What the…”

Seeing his expression change from anger to surprise, Amaya couldn’t help but let out a wild laugh. She felt her face form into a smirk as she revealed the fangs she’d been hiding for so long.

“It can’t be. You’re a vampire?” The fear on his face was absolutely priceless.

“Yeah. Surprised?” She tightened her grip until she heard the crunch of bone.

The scream that followed filled Amaya with a sick kind of glee. She released him with a slight push and he fell to the floor clutching his broken hand.

Amaya stepped forward. “Now,” she mused, “Are you going to leave, or do I have to break something else?” 

“You’ll regret this.” Was all he said before scampering off in the direction he came.

Amaya let out a sigh of relief and turned back towards Yui with her usual smile, “Alright, it’s okay now…” Yui took a step back, away from her. Amaya’s voice trailed off. She was looking down, and wouldn’t meet her eyes.

The realization of what she’d done washed over Amaya. She dropped her gaze to the floor. “I-I’m sorry.” She stammered. “I guess I went too far.”

Yui didn’t reply.

Amaya swallowed nervously, “I must have scared you, I—”

“That’s not it!” Yui cut Amaya off loudly. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me that you were a vampire?” She demanded. 

Not knowing how to reply, Amaya stayed silent.

“Was our friendship even real then?” The hurt in Yui’s voice cut through Amaya worse than any blade. “Or did you just want my blood too?”

“No!” Amaya gulped, thinking of what to say. She tried her best to look Yui in the eye. “I'd never hurt you, at least believe me on that. And I really do care about you.”

"Then why didn't you tell me!" Seeing that Yui didn’t look convinced, Amaya lowered her face again. 

"I can explain. Just not here. If we go to my apartment—"

"You want me to go with you?" The disbelief in her voice was clear.

Amaya winced, fully aware of how that had sounded. "Sorry, that was too much to ask." With difficulty, she turned to leave, knowing that there wasn’t anything else she could say.

"Wait.”

That one word made Amaya freeze, but she didn’t dare turn around.

There was a pause before Yui continued, “I'll give you this one chance. It's not like I can go home after what happened."

Nodding slowly, Amaya replied. “Alright. Follow me then.”

She walked towards the door, Yui following a short distance behind. As they made their way through the halls, Amaya couldn’t help but dwell on how Yui had reacted to her show of strength. She said that it hadn't scared her, but there was no mistaking the expression she had made. Amaya stayed focused on the path in front of her. The thought of being feared by Yui was enough to make her heart ache. Silently, she decided never to let Yui see that side of her ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *slides in just in time to make it for Yui week*  
> Also Pride Month update I guess? Sure, we'll go with that. (Nobody can convince me that the scheduling was a coincidence.)
> 
> On another note, Amaya is reading Revolutionary Girl Utena. Cause that's appropriate.


	3. No Longer Alone

“Here we are.” Amaya pushed open the door to her apartment and held it open for Yui, who entered and slipped off her shoes.

It had been a short walk from Ryoutei Academy to the high rise where Amaya lived. The building was modern and well maintained, possibly even recently built.

Even at night, the brightness of the city lights through the glass windows was enough for Yui to make out the layout. A short hallway led from the entry way to the living room and kitchen space. There was one door on each side of the hallway, most likely leading to the bathroom or utilities. It was larger than average for a high school student, but that was to be expected.

The door clicked shut behind her as Amaya unzipped her boots and flicked on the light switch. They moved towards the living room. Sliding doors occupied the far wall and led to a small balcony. The apartment appeared empty except for furniture. Just a sofa that sat on top of a rug in front of a coffee table and television. A small square dining table with two chairs between that and the kitchen. Yui glanced into the open door of the bedroom. It was just an unmade bed and nightstand. A sheathed Japanese sword and matching dagger rested on a rack installed on the wall near the foot of the bed.

“You don’t have a lot,” Yui observed. 

Amaya shrugged in response, “Wasn’t planning on staying too long.” She gestured towards the sofa, “You can sit if you want.”

Yui placed her bag at her feet and made herself comfortable. Amaya set hers down on one of the chairs and angled the other so she could face Yui.

“Okay, start talking.” Yui looked at Amaya expectantly.

Clasping her hands on her lap, Amaya began, “I work under an organization called the Progenitor Council that governs the vampires of the world. It’s controlled by the most powerful, those who were turned by the original.”

It took Yui a few seconds to process this, “So you’re…”

“Yes, the one who turned me was appointed to rule over Japan as the Queen. She’s a third progenitor.”

“Turned?” The use of that word made Yui have a realization, “You were human?”

It was a moment before Amaya replied, “Yes, a long time ago. But that’s not important.”

Yui wanted to ask for more detail. But seeing the flash of pain in Amaya’s eyes she decided to drop it for now.

“This Queen is strong then?” Yui guessed.

Amaya nodded in confirmation, “Very.”

“Alright,” Yui thought of her next question, “why did you come here then?”

Amaya pointed to a file folder on the coffee table. “Take a look.”

Yui took the file and flipped it open. Upon seeing the contents, she widened her eyes in shock. The file contained what looked like government reports on the Sakamakis. Although the format was different from anything that would be issued in Japan. “This is…”

“The Queen sent me here to keep surveillance on them,” Amaya explained. “According to her intel, they’re part of a rival faction led by a seventh progenitor. He’s been dissatisfied ever since he was denied control of Japan so the Queen thinks they’re a sign that he’s plotting to overthrow her.” 

She crossed her arms in slight annoyance, “I can’t see what she’s so afraid of though. There’s no way a mere seventh progenitor is strong enough to even touch her.”

“So you’re here to see if they’re a threat,” Yui reasoned.

“Right.”

“What happens if she decides they are?”

The room remained uncomfortably silent.

Yui thought about the swords in the bedroom, “Are you going to kill them?”

“…If it comes to that.”

“You can’t!” Yui cried out. “No matter what the reason, killing is wrong!”

Amaya’s expression grew distant as she smiled wistfully, “It must be nice being that innocent,” she replied. “But I’m not that good of a person.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean that in a bad way.” She returned to the main subject, “Anyway, at this point I can’t kill them without causing a political mess, so there’s no need to worry about that. Right now, my orders are just to observe in secret.”

“In secret…” Yui muttered to herself as she finished looking through the file and closed it, “So that’s why you didn’t tell me.”

“Yeah, I was instructed to hide that I was a vampire to carry out the mission.” Amaya looked down in guilt. “To be honest,” hesitation crept into her voice, “I only got close to you so I could get information.”

Yui tightened her grip, she’d been afraid of this.

“But!” Amaya met her eyes and continued quickly, “Now that I’ve gotten to know you, I really do think of you as a friend.” She focused on the floor again nervously, “I understand if that’s hard to believe.”

Sensing the sincerity in her voice, Yui released the tense breath she had been holding. “Alright, I’ll believe you.”

Amaya appeared to relax, “Thank you.”

As Yui was returning the file to the table, she realized that one fact still didn't check out, "Wait, if you were sent to observe the Sakamaki family, then why is it that you never asked me about them?"

"Well, I never liked having to watch them in the first place." Amaya admitted. "And besides, I'm much more interested in you."

"Me?" Yui stared at her in confusion. "But why? I still don’t know what any of this has to do with me."

“I don’t either. But, your situation is strange,” Amaya replied. “You said that your father is a priest and he’s making you stay there? Any idea why?”

“No, I don’t.” Yui's expression turned troubled as she recalled the events of the past week. "They did mention something about me being a sacrifice from the Church, but I just can't believe my father would go along with that."

"Sacrifice?” Amaya frowned. “I've never heard of anything like that. Religious organizations tend to avoid any contact with us vampires."

“Really?”

Amaya nodded. “There was conflict in the past, but everyone tends to keep to themselves now.” She rested her face on her hand in thought. “But if their faction is conspiring with a human magic organization, that might be enough for the Queen to act.”

Yui gave her a sideways look.

“Legally, I mean.” Amaya said, her hands raised defensively. “Is there anything else?”

Suddenly, Yui remembered something. “Actually, there is one thing.”

“What?” Amaya prompted.

“When I first got there, I found a diary written by my father.” Yui looked down at the closed file. “It said that I was an orphan that he took in as a baby and that he wasn’t my real father.”

Amaya thought for a moment, “Do you know if it’s true?”

“I’m not sure. If they know anything, they aren’t telling me. And I guess my father hasn’t called you back.”

“I’m sorry, he hasn’t. Is there anyone else who might know something?” 

“Someone was supposed to take over the church after my father left, but I haven’t been able to go back.”

“I can take you there,” Amaya blurted.

“You would?”

“You want to find out what relation you have with them, right? So do I. Since, our interests appear to align, I think it’s worth cooperating.” Amaya looked at her apologetically, “And I feel awful about lying to you, so if this can make up for it.”

“It’s alright, I understand why you did it. Well then, let’s…” Yui’s sentence was cut off by a sudden yawn. She hadn’t realized how sleepy she was.

Amaya gave her a gentle smile, “It’s been a long day. We can go tomorrow.”

Feeling her eyes grow heavy, Yui nodded.

“You’re welcome to use my room,” Amaya offered.

Yui frowned in confusion, “Wait, what about you?”

“I need to inform the Queen of our next move,” Amaya explained. “And I don’t mind the sofa.”

“Okay,” Yui rose from her seat and walked towards bedroom. “Good night, then.”

***

When she was sure that Yui was asleep, Amaya slid open the glass door and stepped out onto the balcony. She dialed the now familiar number and waited for her call to be answered.

"Hello, Krul-sama"

"What happened this time?" The annoyance in the Queen's voice was clear.

"Well actually..." Amaya quickly explained how she had been found out as a vampire and what she had learned from Yui.  
"What!" Krul seemed understandably upset. "This is the second time you’ve disobeyed my orders. I'm starting to think that you don't understand the meaning of don't interact."

"I didn't have a choice," Amaya insisted. She gritted her teeth as she remembered what had happened. "He was threatening Yui."

She heard an exasperated sigh from the phone, “Well, what’s done is done.” Krul continued, “You seem oddly concerned with that girl. Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for her or something?”

Amaya widened her eyes. She hadn't considered that possibility, but for a second she felt as if her heart might start beating again just so that it could skip one. Recognizing the teasing lilt in Krul's voice, she made sure to keep her tone flat, "You know that's impossible. Vampires aren't capable of feeling human emotion. Isn't that what you told me?"

"It’s good that you remember."

“Anyway,” Amaya was eager to change the subject, “I’ll be taking her to the church tomorrow to see if we can find any clues. If we find anything useful, I’ll report it to you.”

“Fine then, I suppose if you did find something to incriminate him, I could have him out of the way for good.” There was a slight pause. “Where is the girl now?”

“In my bed.”

Silence. 

Amaya was about to ask Krul what was wrong when the Queen erupted into laughter.

Confusion washed over Amaya, “Um, Krul-sama, what…”

“Oh my,” Krul struggled to contain the amusement in her voice, “I didn’t know you were skilled in seduction.”

Realizing how Krul had interpreted her words, Amaya flushed with embarrassment. "No, no, no, no! That's not what I meant!! She’s just sleeping!" She hissed into the phone. "Stop laughing!"

That only seemed to make Krul laugh harder.

“I’m hanging up now,” Amaya quickly disconnected the call.

Lowering her phone, she raised her head to stare at the closed curtains of the bedroom window. 

It couldn’t really be love, could it?

***

It was several hours later when Yui finally began to stir from her sleep. Rolling over, she glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 

5:34pm. 

Maneuvering herself so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed, Yui rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Had she really slept that long? Standing, Yui moved towards where she had left her bag on the floor to retrieve her casual clothes. She’d been so tired last night that she hadn’t bothered to change out of her uniform before sleeping. 

Opening the bedroom door, she scanned the apartment. It was quiet and empty. Hearing a sound, Yui turned to her left to see Amaya entering through the front door. She’d switched out her uniform blazer for her olive jacket and was holding a plastic bag.

She lifted her head and seeing Yui, she broke into her usual cheerful smile. 

"Yui-senpai, you're awake."

"Yeah,” she replied, somehow bothered by Amaya’s continued use of honorifics. “Where did you go?"

Amaya lifted the bag in response, "I thought you'd be hungry and I didn't have any human food so I got take-out.” She placed the bag on the square dining table, “You like katsudon?"

"Sure, thanks." Yui took a seat at the table and began unpacking the container.

"I'll get changed and we can go once you finish," Amaya moved towards the bedroom.

Contemplating for a moment, Yui turned in her seat. "You know,” she began.

“Hm?” Amaya looked at her questioningly.

Yui continued, “After everything that's happened, I don't think you need to call me senpai anymore."

"Oh um,” Amaya fidgeted with the edge of her jacket, “just Yui then?"

Yui smiled in approval, “Yup, Amaya.”

Was it her imagination, or was Amaya blushing slightly? She turned her face away before Yui could be sure.

“Uh, yeah,” she quickly closed the door behind her.

That was weird. Yui shrugged to herself and turned back to her meal. 

When she finished, she began rinsing the container out in the sink. The bedroom door swung open and Amaya stepped out in her outfit from yesterday with the addition of a pair of fingerless leather gloves. She was holding the dagger Yui had seen the other night. Tucking it behind her back, it disappeared perfectly hidden under her jacket. 

“You need that?” Yui asked.

Amaya shrugged, “Can’t be too careful, we don’t know what could happen.”

Yui set down the now clean container in the sink. “Well, we should get going. It’s getting late.”

***

A while later, the girls were standing in front of an average looking Western style church. Walking up to the entrance, Yui placed her hand on the doors. This place had been like a home to her for her entire life, and yet it felt oddly unfamiliar now.  
"It'll be okay," Yui turned as Amaya spoke from beside her. "Whatever happens I'll be here."

Yui nodded, "I know." Feeling her confidence returning, she opened the door and stepped inside.

The interior was just as she remembered. Several rows of pews were lined up on either side of an aisle that led to the altar. There were no other visitors, as expected of this time at night. Following at her side, Amaya glanced around, observing her surroundings curiously.

"You've been to a church before, haven't you?" Yui asked.

Amaya shook her head, "No actually, it's pretty different from a shrine."

"Who's there?" The two looked up as a voice came from ahead. A man in priestly clothes had emerged from the back. Yui didn’t recognize him, but she assumed that he was the one who had taken over for her father.

She approached him and began introducing herself, “I’m Yui Komori, Seiji Komori is my father. He used to run this church.”  
“You,” the man widened his eyes in shock. “What are you doing here?”

“Um,” she began explaining, “I wanted to ask if you knew how to contact him? There seems to be a problem with the number he gave me…”

“You need to leave,” he began backing away. “You can’t be here.” The man had a strange look on his face, was it fear?  
Yui stared at him in confusion, “I don’t understand…”

“So you do know something.” Yui turned to see that Amaya had caught up with her, an icy expression aimed at the priest.  
He narrowed his eyes at her, “And who are—.” As if realizing something, panic suddenly flooded his face. “It can’t be, a vampire?”

Yui let out an exclamation of surprise, how could he tell?

Keeping her calm, Amaya tilted her head questioningly, “Aren’t you observant.”

“How can you be here?” He continued increasing his distance. “Wicked creatures can’t exist in the presence of God.”

Amaya frowned, “First of all, that’s a myth. Also, I don’t think of myself as evil.” She shook her head, “What I am doesn’t matter. Now, answer Yui’s questions.”

_Click._ Jumping back a step, Yui covered her mouth to prevent herself from crying out. She hadn’t noticed that the priest had actually been moving towards something. He was now holding a gun. And its barrel was pointed straight at Amaya.

She stared down at it calmly, “Seriously?”

“Get out.” The man held his ground, but he couldn’t hide the fear in his voice. “I won’t answer to a monster like you.”

Her tone turned dangerous, “Don’t call me that.”

Sensing the change in Amaya's demeanor, Yui felt herself tense. At this rate, things were not going to end well. 

"You're a vampire," the priest seemed to be gaining confidence, "that makes you a monster."

Rage flashed in Amaya's eyes, "I said don't call me that!" 

Realizing that she was reaching for the dagger concealed behind her back, Yui grabbed her arm in warning, "Amaya no!"

"But!"

Yui gave her a stern look. It was clear that they wouldn't get answers here.

Appearing to understand, Amaya relaxed her battle stance reluctantly. "Fine."

Satisfied, Yui turned back to the priest. "Alright, we'll leave. Sorry for bothering you."

Keeping her grip on Amaya's arm, she turned towards the doors.

***

The church had been close to the park, so Yui had suggested that they take a walk to calm down. As they strolled through the tree lined paths, Amaya kept her arms crossed. She still appeared to be sulking. Deciding that it was best to let her process her thoughts, Yui kept quiet.

Eventually, Amaya came to a stop and broke the silence with a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. If I’d handled that better you could have gotten an explanation.”

“Don’t worry about it. I doubt he would have said anything,” Yui reassured her. “And he shouldn’t have said that about you.”  
“It’s fine.”

They continued on. The night breeze was cool but not uncomfortably so. Yui glanced over at the girl next to her. Even though Amaya had come clean about everything, there was still a lot about her that remained a mystery. It was strange. Amaya was a vampire, same as the Sakamakis, and yet she acted so different. For one thing, she was actually trying to help. In fact, Yui realized, she was strangely dedicated. She had said that she was here on orders, but that didn’t explain it.

“Um,” Yui finally spoke, “I wanted to ask.”

“Hm?” Amaya turned back to her.

Yui thought about how to phrase her question, “Why are you going so far to help me?”

Amaya looked at her apologetically, “I don’t think I’ve been much help though.”

“That’s not true!” Yui exclaimed. “You broke your cover when you stood up to Ayato for me yesterday.”

“I couldn’t let you get hurt,” Amaya reached up to twirl at a lock of her hair. “I’m not sure why, but I just want to protect you.”

“Protect me?” Yui echoed. 

Amaya nodded in reply, “It’s just not fair. The vampire world is an awful place and someone as kind as you shouldn’t be caught up in it. You deserve a happy life away from all of this. Besides, you have the right to decide your own future. So I can't accept you being some sacrifice.”

“Is that really possible?” Yui said, feeling doubtful, “Me getting out of this.”

“Of course it is!” Amaya moved so they were face to face and took her hands in encouragement. The fierceness in her eyes caught Yui by surprise. “If it’s impossible for you to face this on your own, then I want to be your strength. That’s why I won’t stop fighting until you’re free. You have something you want to do after this is over, right?”

“Something I want to do?” Yui repeated. “You mean a dream for the future?” She thought for a moment before replying. “Well since my father is a priest, I thought I might become a nun.”

“You want to devote yourself to practice?” Amaya smiled at her answer, “That’s commendable.” She gave her hands a light squeeze. “Then I promise I’ll do whatever I can to make that happen.”

Touched by her words, Yui couldn’t think of an immediate response. Moments ticked by as their gazes remained locked.  
Appearing to realize that she was still holding her hands, Amaya hurriedly let go and stepped back. “Ah, sorry.” She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. “It’s getting late, I guess we should head back.”

“Yeah,” Yui agreed.

Without another word, Amaya turned and continued along the path. Following behind her, Yui felt her heart flutter with warmth as she thought about what Amaya had said. Letting her gaze drift towards Amaya’s long dark hair swaying in the night air, Yui felt a sense of comfort knowing that she had gained an ally. Looking up at the star filled sky, she smiled. Maybe there was some hope after all.

***

As soon as they returned, Amaya flopped down heavily on the sofa in frustration. “That wasn’t any help.”

“Well,” Yui said, seating herself on the other end of the sofa, “we at least know that the church is involved somehow.”

“Yeah, I guess so. But it just doesn’t make sense.” She sat up, correcting her posture. “Is there anyone else we can ask? Extended family or friends?”

Yui shook her head, “No, my father never mentioned any family. It was always just the two of us.” She sighed to herself. Now what was she supposed to do.

“Well, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want,” Amaya suggested. “I promise it will be safe.”

The warm atmosphere of the apartment sure made that idea tempting. Even though she had only stayed here for one day, it had already begun to feel like home. She smiled sadly. No matter how much she wanted to accept Amaya’s offer, Yui knew it wouldn’t be the right choice.

“I can’t.” She declined regretfully. “If I stay here, I’ll never learn the truth.”

“You want to go back!?” Amaya didn’t try to hide her shock.

“It’s not like I want to, but what else can I do?” Clenching her hands tightly, Yui reminded herself to be brave. “It’s where my father told me to stay, which means the truth has to be there somewhere.”

Amaya’s jaw twitched, it didn’t look like she had a counter argument. “I know that, but I can’t protect you if I’m not there.”  
That gave Yui an idea, “Wait, what if you were?”

“What do you mean?” Amaya looked confused.

“Come with me,” Yui suggested excitedly. “Then we can figure this out together. And I’d feel better if you were there with me.”

It looked like Amaya’s jaw was about to hit the floor. She looked off to the side. “I thought you didn’t want to get me involved.”

“Based on what you’ve told me, you’ve been involved from the start,” Yui pointed out. 

“Well, I guess that’s true. But this is different.” Amaya crossed her arms in a slight pout. “Look, I can’t stand them and I don’t want to live with them, okay.”

“Come on,” Yui leaned in close so that they were mere centimeters apart, visibly startling Amaya. She gave her best pleading face. “Please?”

Their gazes remained locked for a few moments. Yui watched as Amaya’s scarlet cats eyes glimmered with something like wonder.

Finally averting her eyes in embarrassment, Amaya replied softly, “You’re going with or without me aren’t you?” She let out a sigh of defeat. “Fine, I’ll go with you.”

Yui's smile upon hearing that response was so bright, she might as well have been glowing. "Yes! Thank you!" She squealed in delight and threw her arms around Amaya, causing the other girl to yelp in surprise.

"Um, I'll still have to get permission from the Queen though," Amaya managed to stutter out.

Yui released Amaya from her embrace but kept a slight grip on her shoulders. She hadn’t stopped smiling, “Then you’d better go call her. Once you’ve convinced her, I’ll help you pack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amaya....your crush is showing. Lucky for her, Yui is oblivious. (We'll get there eventually)  
> As you can see, every lesbian romance requires copious amounts of hand holding and declarations of unconditional support. That's how it works. (I mean if published authors do it too, I must be doing something right?)  
> Yes, the food was a Yuri on Ice reference.  
> Oh, and Chapter 4 will take a while.  
> (Edit: Oh god I've hit 10,000 words.....there's no stopping me now)


	4. Storm the Garden

“Why did I let you talk me in to this again?” Amaya said as she stared at the front door in a disgruntled manner.

Yui giggled softly, “Because you're a good friend.”

“It's more like I just can't say no to you...” Amaya muttered to herself.

“What was that?” Yui asked, not hearing what she had said.

“Nothing.”

Packing hadn't taken very long since all of Amaya's things had fit into a single duffle bag. With the exception of the sword, which hung over her shoulder. It had taken a surprisingly short amount of time for her to convince the vampire Queen of their plan. 

“So what did you end up telling the Queen anyway?” Yui asked out of curiosity.

Amaya crossed her arms, still looking annoyed, “Based on what we learned, it’s clear that they’re up to something and you’re at the center of it. If I protect you, it will interfere with the faction leader’s plans and the Queen wouldn’t pass up that chance.” She glanced at Yui, “You remember the story, right?”

Yui nodded in confirmation, "You're just a normal vampire who's trying to live a normal life. We met by chance and we don't mention anything about you being sent by the Queen. It’s not that far from the truth."

“The best lies often aren't,” Amaya said quietly. “You’re sure about this? We can still go back.”

“You know neither of us will find out anything that way,” Yui chided. “Even your Queen agrees with me, aren’t you supposed to listen to her at least?”

Looking upwards, Amaya groaned loudly in frustration, “Yeah, I know.” She stared forward dejectedly. “I guess there’s no use just standing around out here.”

“Come on, it won’t be that bad.” Yui said, trying to reassure her. She walked up and opened the door, which was unlocked as usual. “I’m here too.”

With Amaya following behind her, Yui stepped through the doorway and into the entrance hall with a strange sense of confidence. She glanced towards the other girl whose gaze flicked around, cautiously observing their surroundings. Despite Amaya’s wariness, Yui could see that the fiery spark in her eyes remained fearless. Yui smiled, knowing that things wouldn’t be like when she first came here. With Amaya beside her, somehow Yui felt like she could do anything, face anyone. 

“What the hell is she doing here?”

Speaking of which. 

Yui looked away from Amaya to see Ayato standing in front of them. He did not look happy.

“Hi,” From beside her, Amaya gave a small wave. “How’s your hand?”

Even though she was smiling, Yui could hear the underlying malice in her otherwise friendly tone.

“Fine,” he muttered, shoving his seemingly healed hand into his pocket. “Now what is she doing here?”

Catching a look of reassurance from Amaya, Yui turned back to Ayato, “Amaya is going to be staying here with me, starting today,” she explained firmly.

“Wait, you can’t just—“

“Yui,” Amaya interrupted, “where do you want me to put my stuff?”

“Oh, right,” Yui thought for a moment. “We can ask Reiji if there are any empty rooms. He might be in the living room. It’s this way.” Taking Amaya’s hand, Yui quickly led her out of the entrance hall.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Yui vaguely registered him yelling from behind them, but she didn’t look back.

They soon reached the living room, which was empty except for Shu napping on one of the sofas. 

“Not here I guess,” Yui said to herself. Glancing to make sure that Amaya was still beside her, she thought about where else to check.

“Oh, is this a friend of yours?” Hearing a voice from behind her, Yui turned calmly to see that Laito had appeared from somewhere. At least she was starting to get used to them popping up without warning now.

“Whoever she is, she's a vampire, that's for sure.” Another voice. Kanato.

If looks could kill, the death glare Amaya made would have vaporized both of them on the spot.

“Whoa, scary,” Laito said with feigned alarm. He glanced down, appearing to notice that they were holding hands. “You two seem close.”

Yui felt Amaya tense and try to pull away, but she held on to her tightly. “Yes, she’s a very good friend.”

“Hey! I said wait!” Ayato said loudly as he caught up with them. “She is not staying here!”

“Wait, a female vampire who goes to our school?” After some thought, Laito’s face lit up in realization. “You must be the one who beat up Ayato yesterday!”

“She did not beat me up.”

“How did we not know that there was another vampire at our school anyway?” Kanato asked, ignoring him.

“I don't recognize her so she must be in a different grade. First year maybe?” Laito guessed, “She's so small.”

“First year...” Ayato redirected his glare to someone behind Yui. “Hey, Subaru. Do you know her?”

Turning again, Yui saw that Subaru had just walked in from a different direction.

He glanced over Amaya with indifference, “No, should I?”

“We were wondering if she was in your class,” Laito explained.

Subaru shrugged, “Maybe? Why does that matter?”

“Because she's a vampire!” Ayato yelled, as if that should have explained everything.

Not understanding, Subaru stared back blankly, “What's your point?”

“My point?” if possible, he looked even angrier than before. “Well maybe if you'd noticed, I wouldn't have gotten my hand broken!”

Subaru’s face shifted into an equally angry expression in response, “It's not my fault that you got beat up, idiot.”

“I did not get beat up!” Ayato continued to insist loudly.

Laito eyed him skeptically, “You screamed loud enough for the entire school to hear.”

“And you cried when Reiji set the breaks,” added Kanato.

“I did not!”

As they continued to argue, Amaya made a look that seemed to ask if this happened all the time. Yui could only give a fed up sigh and nod in confirmation. She received an expression that conveyed ‘yikes’ in reply. At this rate, Yui began to wonder if they would notice her and Amaya if they were to quietly leave the room.

“What is all the commotion?” came a new voice. Looking up, Yui saw that Reiji had finally appeared. He scowled suspiciously at Amaya, “And who is this?”

“Oh, there you are.” Letting go of Amaya, Yui hurried forward a few steps to face him and began her explanation. “This is my friend, Amaya Yuuki. I met her at school. She’s going to be staying here with me, so I was wondering if there were any empty rooms—“

“No,” Reiji said, cutting her off, “I won’t allow it.”

Yui felt her voice catch in her throat. Somehow it hadn’t occurred that she’d be denied, even though it now seemed like the obvious thing to happen. She swallowed. No, she wasn’t going to give up. Not now. “She’s my guest. I want her to be here, so—“

“And you are ours.” Reiji countered. “This is our house. You don’t have the right to bring whoever you want in here.”

“But—” Yui tried to protest.

“I won’t hear anymore arguments,” he cut her off again.

Clenching her hands by her sides, Yui stared at the floor in frustration. There had to something she could say to convince him. 

“Yui’s not asking for permission,” Amaya spoke up from beside her, “She’s just letting you know that I’m staying. Your opinion doesn’t matter.”  
“Excuse me?”

“Oh?” She smirked dangerously, briefly revealing her fangs, “What are you going to do? You’re nowhere near strong enough to make me leave. I’m sure he can attest to that.”

She made a flippant gesture to Ayato, who was trying really hard to look like he wasn’t scared of her. It wasn’t working.

The room fell into a tense silence. Reiji’s face blazed with anger as he tried to assess how much of what she was saying could be a bluff. Yui knew with certainty that none of it was. She stared in awe as Amaya continued to hold her head high. Despite her small stature, her presence commanded respect. As if she was aware that she was a lion among mere alley cats. Seeing Amaya confront the Sakamakis made Yui’s heart swell with warmth. She found herself smiling, glad that she was by her side.

“It’s fine, isn’t it,” all eyes turned to Shu, who had spoken from where he lay on one of the sofas. Apparently, he wasn’t asleep. “It sounds like it will be too much of a bother to kick her out. As long as she doesn’t cause any trouble, I don’t see the problem.”

“I won’t cause any trouble as long as nobody causes Yui any trouble,” Amaya replied coldly. “But if anyone so much as touches her, I’ll make sure they regret it.”

“Sounds fair.”

Clearing his throat, Reiji appeared to regain his composure. “Alright then,” he turned to address Yui. “There should be empty rooms on the same floor as yours. Any one is fine.”

“Right,” Yui quickly took Amaya’s arm and began leading her away. She figured that they had better leave the room before Shu changed his mind or Amaya decided that she wanted to stab someone anyway. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

*** 

“I want to go home,” Amaya grumbled as soon as they were out of earshot. “Can we just leave now?”

“We just got here,” Yui pointed out. “Besides, you handled it pretty well.”

“Just because I know how to deal with people like that doesn’t mean I want to,” Amaya retorted.

“Well since we’re all living together, you could at least try to get along,” Yui suggested.

Amaya’s face twisted in disgust. “I will not make friends with people like… _that_ ,” she spat.

Yui sighed to herself and wondered if bringing Amaya here might just make the infighting _worse_. Hopefully, Amaya’s warning would at least make them stay away. Although, her ability to take control of the situation had been quite impressive.

“How did you know what to say, anyway?” Yui asked curiously. 

“Vampires respond to one thing, and that’s strength. If you can give them reason to think that you’re more powerful, they’ll back off,” Amaya chose her words carefully as she gradually began to calm down.

“I see...”

“It’s a matter of pride really,” Amaya added somewhat bitterly. “They just don’t want to risk looking pathetic if they lose.”

“You can say that even though you’re a vampire yourself?” 

“Knowing your own shortcomings is never a bad thing. Especially if you can use it to your advantage.”

Crossing her arms, Amaya exhaled pointedly. “I still don’t want to stay here,” she continued then glanced at Yui with a small smile. The annoyed expression had melted from Amaya’s face into something more gentle. “But since you’re here, I think I’ll manage somehow.”

Upon hearing Amaya's words, Yui was aware of the soft fluttery sensation in her heart again. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. Before she could dwell too much on it, she looked ahead to see that they were approaching the door to her own room.

“Oh, over here!” Yui walked up and placed her hand on the door knob before turning back to Amaya. “This is my room.”

As she opened the door, Amaya’s face turned into one of amazement. "Wow, you could fit half my apartment in here."

“Yeah, it takes some getting used to.”

The room was minimalistic in terms of furniture. Essentially just her bed and desk. The excess of empty space had always given it a somewhat lonely feel. Well, maybe she ought to unpack a little more, but she didn’t really want to. It felt like doing so would make it seem as though she really was staying for good.

Afterwards, they went off to find a room for Amaya to stay in. However, it turned out that only one room was unlocked. It was much smaller than the one Yui had been given. A narrow bed, desk, and wardrobe were crammed into the space with barely enough room to walk. 

“Okay, now they’re just being mean,” Yui said with her hands on her hips.

Amaya shrugged, seemingly unbothered. “It’s okay. I like smaller spaces anyway.”

“Are you sure?” Yui asked in concern. “You could just stay in my room if you want.”

“No!”

The sudden yelp of alarm surprised Yui. She stared at her friend questioningly. Why was she acting so skittish lately? Well, maybe it was just the effect of this place. Yui herself had always felt uneasy just stepping foot in here. Not to mention, that this was essentially enemy territory for Amaya. It was only natural for her to be on edge.

“I mean,” Amaya cleared her throat and composed herself. “I don’t want to intrude on your space. It really is fine.”

She placed her bag on the floor and unslung her sword. Holding the sheathed tip out in front of her, she began tapping the floor slowly as she walked forward.

“Um, what are you doing?”

“Checking for traps,” Amaya explained as she approached the bed. After whacking the mattress a few times, she flipped it up to inspect the underside. “I really don’t trust them.”

After also checking the desk drawers and inside the wardrobe, she turned back to Yui in satisfaction. “Alright, looks safe.”

“That’s good, I can show you around some more.”

Amaya shook her head, “No it’s fine. The sun will be up soon and we’ve been running around a lot. You should get some rest.”

“Okay. We’ll start our investigation tomorrow then?” Yui said with a smile.

“Investigation? You make it sound like we’re spies,” Amaya said jokingly.

“We’re not?”

“Well, I guess you’re not wrong.”

Yui smiled again in response. It was thanks to Amaya that she felt enough at ease to joke like this. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah. Sleep well.” For a moment it looked like Amaya wanted to say more, but she stopped herself and just smiled quietly.

Nodding, Yui turned to leave and closed the door behind her. She headed back towards her own room, that warm feeling still in her heart. As long as they were here together, living in this house didn’t seem so scary anymore.

*** 

It was a little while after she had woken up when Yui heard a knock at her door.

“Yui? Are you awake? It’s me.”

Recognizing Amaya’s voice, Yui eagerly jumped up to go let her in. Upon opening the door, she was greeted by her gentle smile.

“Hey. You sleep well?”

“Yeah, I did actually. You?”

“Well enough.” She fidgeted for a few seconds. “So, where should we start?”

“Right, I should show you the journal I found.” Yui stepped back a bit. “Come on in.”

Muttering a small “excuse me,” Amaya followed her into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed as Yui went to retrieve the notebook from her desk drawer. Flipping to the relevant section, she handed it over.

Amaya scanned the page as Yui sat beside her. “’Yui gives me happiness. The fact that she is not actually my child means nothing now. I am only grateful for this great blessing every day I live.’" She read aloud. “You mean this part?”

Yui nodded, “Yeah. I just have no idea what this is even doing here in the first place.”

“Maybe it’s a fake?” Amaya suggested. “You’d know better than me. But is there anything about the handwriting or writing style that looks wrong?”

“I don’t think so,” Yui said with a shake of her head. “They didn’t know anything about me when I showed up. There’s no way they’d know enough to make this good of a fake.”

“Good point.” Amaya closed the journal and passed it back to Yui. “It’s a start at least. Where should we look first then?”

“There were a lot more books in the room where I found this one. We can try there.” Yui said, standing up. “Come on, I’ll show you the way.”

As they made their way through the halls, Yui got the strange sense that the house seemed different. Of course it looked the same as before, but still somehow brighter and less foreboding. That weird suffocating sensation she’d been feeling ever since she’d come here was gone too. Yui looked at the girl beside her fondly, still not quite believing that she was really here. It had to be thanks to her.

Noticing her gaze, Amaya glanced over. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re staring at me.”

“I’m just making sure that you being here isn’t a dream.” Yui felt her face light up in gratitude. “I’m really glad you’re here, Amaya.”

Yui watched as Amaya’s eyes widened for a second before she turned away to focus on the floor. 

“Um, yeah. Don’t mention it.” Even though she was trying to hide it, a light but unmistakable blush colored her cheeks.

At that sight, Yui felt a strange tug in her heart. How could the same girl who had out-intimidated six other vampires just yesterday, be so utterly adorable when we was flustered?

Up ahead, a familiar set of doors caught Yui’s eye, prompting her to abandon that train of thought.

“Oh, here we are.” She began walking a little faster but slowed down as the doors came closer into view, a discouraged frown forming on her face. The doors were now locked. And heavily so. A thick metal chain was wound around the handles and secured with a giant lock. There was no way she could get it open herself without a key, and it wasn’t like she could ask for that. Unless…

She glanced at Amaya. “Maybe you could…” Yui made a pulling gesture towards the padlock.

Amaya’s eyes glimmered, as if she was amused by her suggestion of breaking and entering. “I mean, I _could_. But maybe we should try being more subtle.” She knelt in front of the lock and produced two thin, strangely shaped metal rods from the inside of her boot.

Yui watched curiously as Amaya stuck the rods into the keyhole and began jiggling them around. In just a few seconds, the lock clicked open with one last twist.

“Wow,” Yui said in awe as Amaya removed the chains and opened the doors.

“Cool trick, right?” Amaya turned back to her, looking proud. “It’s actually really easy to learn. Want me to teach you? It could come in handy.”

After an enthusiastic agreement, the two headed inside the room. Inside was just as Yui remembered from the first day she had come here. Walls lined with bookshelves. Tables full of old jewelry and knick knacks. As well as some furniture draped with sheets.

Yui stared at the easily hundreds of books, feeling slightly overwhelmed. Looking through all of these was going to take a while.

“Well, we have to start somewhere,” she muttered to herself as she pulled a book from the shelf at random. Turning to Amaya, she added, “Let me know if you find anything about me or my father.”

Amaya nodded in response and selected a book for herself. Flipping open her own, Yui was about to start reading but frowned at the page.

Noticing her expression, Amaya turned towards her. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t read it,” Yui said as she kept staring. At first she’d thought that the book was just in English given the roman letters. If so, she’d hoped that what she’d learned in school would be enough to understand it sufficiently. But after looking more closely, she realized that none of the words were familiar.

“Let me see,” Amaya said as she leaned over to squint at the words. “Oh, it’s in Latin. Hold on.” Taking the book, she continued to stare at it in concentration.

“You can read Latin too?” Yui was beginning to wonder if there was anything Amaya _couldn’t_ do.

“It takes some effort and I’m not fluent, but yes.” She turned the page and continued. “Most vampires come from the West so English and Latin are the official languages.”

“You had to learn both? That must have been hard.” Yui said as she thought about some of the weirder rules of English grammar.

Glancing up, Amaya smiled at her shyly. “It was at first, but I got it eventually. I would read a lot of books in English to practice, which I guess is still a habit of mine.”

“You really are amazing,” Yui whispered to herself.

All of a sudden, Amaya made a choked sound and she snapped the book shut, looking vaguely distressed.

“What?” Yui asked, growing concerned. “What did it say?”

“You…don’t want to know,” holding it away from her like it was a piece of dirty laundry, Amaya stiffly set the book down on a table. “I just wasn’t prepared to read something so…raunchy.” She shivered, as if trying to shake away the memory. “I really don’t like that kind of thing.”

Yui stood there blinking in confusion. Raunchy…? What had she…? After a few moments, Yui’s eyes widened as she put two and two together and burst into laughter. It seemed that she had accidentally given Amaya some kind of erotica.

“Wha? What’s so funny!?” 

“N-nothing!” Yui said between giggles. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh. I don’t like it either.”

She struggled to compose herself. “It’s just that you’re supposed to be some deadly assassin and yet you can be so innocent! It’s so cute!”

Amaya went bright red, “Th-those two things are completely unrelated!” 

Her flustered response only served to prove Yui’s point. She burst into another fit of laughter.

“You’re so mean,” Amaya snatched a new book off the shelf and sat down at the table in a huff. Despite that, the corners of her mouth twitched upwards in a smile. “But, since you’re able to laugh in a place like this, I guess it’s fine?”

Yui smiled back at her and picked up another book as well. She was right. Just because they were in this situation didn’t mean they couldn’t have a little fun with it.

Just then, Amaya hurled the book away from her with a yell. “Again!?”

Giggling at the scene, Yui opened her own book. Yup, definitely cute.

*** 

Sighing in frustration, Yui closed the book she had been looking through and placed it in the now quite tall “not helpful” stack. Seated on a cloth covered chair nearby, Amaya had a similar exhausted look as she stared blankly at a different book with her elbows propped on the table. Yui wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but they had gone through around half the books in the room with no success. She selected yet another book absentmindedly. Maybe it was about time for a break, she thought to herself. Running themselves into the ground with research wasn’t going to help.

“What are you two doing in here?”

Yui looked up with a start to see Reiji standing in the doorway, glaring at them. She scrambled to come up with an explanation that would hide their snooping when Amaya replied for her.

“Reading,” she said dryly, not looking up from her book.

He narrowed his eyes at her, “This room was locked. How did you get in?”

Amaya scoffed, her face twisting into a sneer. “What? Are you going to be less mad depending on my answer?”

“Don’t test me.”

Sensing the tension in the air, Yui jumped between them. “Come on, please don’t fight.”

“Don’t try to cover for her. I know you two are hiding something.” His voice rose slightly. “You can’t expect me to believe that she’s only here to protect you.”

Tensing, Yui tried her best not to show panic. No matter what, she had to make sure nobody found out that Amaya was working for the vampire Queen.

“I just wanted to find out why my father sent me to live here and asked for her help. That’s all.” Yui stated sternly. It wasn’t anything new so he shouldn’t have any reason to doubt them.

Reiji glanced at the table where she had left her father’s journal. She’d brought it with them in case they needed it for reference.

“Your father is Seiji Komori?”

Yui’s expression grew serious, “So you do know something! What is it? Tell me!”

“Fine. If you really want to know.” Reiji’s eyes where cold as he spoke. “Your father was a famous vampire hunter. I hired him to kill my mother a long time ago.”

“Wha…?” Yui felt as if the world was spinning around her. Frozen in place, the book dropped out of her hands.

“Yui…!” Amaya rushed forward, but Yui signaled for her to stay back. She could handle this.

Making sure to keep her voice firm, Yui replied. “No, that can’t be, it’s impossible. You’re lying.”

“And what reason would I have to lie to you?”

“Still, it doesn’t make any sense.” Yui thought of someway to disprove his claim. “Why would a vampire hunter work for a vampire? And why would you do that in the first place!?”

“You would have to ask him that yourself. And I had my reasons.”

“Okay, so let’s say I believe you. That means my father sent me here, knowing you were vampires? He wouldn’t do that. There has to be another explanation.” Yui’s hands trembled by her sides as she tried not to imagine the darker implications behind Reiji’s revelation.

“That’s all I know. Believe what you want. It’s the truth.” Reiji turned to leave. “And put everything back when you’re done _reading_.” With that he was gone.

Yui stood unmoving by the bookshelves, her mind still blank with disbelief. After a long silence, Amaya began timidly. “Yui…I…”

“Don’t.” Yui clenched her jaw, unsure of how to feel. “Just don’t.”

Amaya looked down at the floor. She didn’t say anything more.

Putting together what to say next took effort. “I think I need to be alone for a while. To think.”

“Okay,” Amaya spoke gently. “I’ll clean up here then.”

Without another word, Yui stiffly left the room and headed back towards her own. Her thoughts growing more and more troubled.

***

*** 

It was some time later when Yui emerged from her room, still feeling uneasy. Thinking about what she’d heard about her father from Reiji had just caused her to imagine the worst. Wanting to stay positive, she had tried finding a distraction to prevent herself from spiraling into despair. But, no matter what she did, whether it was studying or reading one of the books she’d picked out with Amaya, dark thoughts still plagued her mind.

Amaya…

Thinking about her made Yui’s expression turn guilty. She’d left in a hurry because she hadn’t wanted to break down in front of Amaya, but she hadn’t meant to speak so coldly to her either. Of course, knowing how kind she was, she probably didn’t even blame her one bit. Still, she wanted to apologize somehow.

Eventually, Yui realized that her wandering had taken her near the kitchen. Perhaps making something to eat would help. Cooking had always cheered her up. However as she got closer, she heard a loud whirring sound coming from that direction. Was someone already using it? She stopped, the last thing she wanted right now was to run into one of the brothers.

Just then, there was a surprised scream followed by the sound of something clattering to the floor.

A girl’s voice? That had to be Amaya!

Filled with concern, Yui burst into the kitchen and walked in on a completely unexpected scene.

Amaya stood there with a flabbergasted look on her face, splattered from head to toe with some kind of batter. A mixing bowl lay overturned on the floor, the main source of the mess. To make matters worse, a bag of flour had tipped over, spilling white powder everywhere. In Amaya’s hand was a still running electric hand mixer, the source of the whirring Yui had heard earlier.

She looked up with a start at the sound of someone entering the room. Recognizing Yui, her batter-stained face broke into a sheepish smile.

“Oh, hi.”

After a bit of work, Yui had finally finished helping Amaya put the kitchen back in order and was now starting to mix together a new batch of batter. 

On a stool nearby in a clean t-shirt and shorts, Amaya sat with her head bowed in apology. “I am so sorry.”

With everything combined, Yui picked up the mixer and began blending it into a smoother consistency on the low setting.

Amaya flinched, “I didn’t realize the bowl would fly away if I used that on the highest setting…”

Turning the mixer off, Yui turned towards her. “Amaya, you can stop apologizing now. It’s okay.”

“Sor…,” Amaya’s voice caught and she returned to hanging her head in silence.

Yui sighed and went to get some butter from the fridge. “So, why were you trying to make crepes anyway? If it’s your first time cooking, there are easier things to make.”

“But, it looked so easy when I saw people making them on the street.” Amaya explained. “And everyone looks so happy when they eat them so I thought it would cheer you up.”

“You were making them for me?” Yui closed the fridge and smiled towards her. Even though it had turned out disastrously, the gesture was touching. “That’s so sweet.”

After adding a bit of butter and seeing that the pan was heated enough, Yui poured in some batter and expertly swirled it until the bottom was evenly coated. She nodded, that looked about right.

Amaya watched her intently, “Wow, you’re really talented.” Her voice became apologetic again. “But, I messed up and now you’re doing all the work. I feel really bad.”

“Thank you. And really, don’t worry about it.” Yui said as she carefully flipped the crepe over. After a few seconds, she continued, “Besides, I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m sure I worried you when I left like that.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that!” Amaya replied frantically. “Anyone would react like you did after hearing that.”

Seeing that the crepe was done cooking, Yui folded it up and slid it onto a plate. After sprinkling some powdered sugar on top, she handed it to Amaya. “Tell you what, we’ll eat these together and call it even, okay?”

Taking the plate gratefully, Amaya nodded and picked up the fork. Seeing that she had relaxed, Yui turned back to the stove.

After a few moments, she heard an exclamation of delight. “This is so good!”

Yui glanced back happily, “That one’s just a test, but I’m glad you like it.” She went back to the fridge. “You wanted a strawberry one, right?”

Amaya nodded eagerly, her plate already empty. “I can’t believe it. It tastes so good even by itself.”

“Thank you,” Yui said as she took out the strawberries. “If there’s anything else you like to eat, I’d be happy to make it for you sometime,” she offered.

“Unagi,” Amaya said excitedly. “It’s my favorite.”

Taking a mental note of that, Yui began washing the strawberries they were going to use, smiling as she did so. Speaking about such mundane things like this with Amaya just felt so natural. Almost like they were spending their days peacefully, living together like an ordinary… 

Yui frowned, unsure of what word to use. Then she shook her head. Specifics didn’t matter. All she knew was that even after this was all over, she still wanted Amaya to be a part of her future somehow.

“By the way,” Amaya’s voice cut through her thoughts, “How did you get so good at cooking?”

“I used to cook for my father a lot,” Yui explained as she began to cut the berries into slices. “He had to raise me himself so I wanted to help out and I always thought cooking was fun. Father was always busy with work too, so I also had to take care of myself sometimes.” Her knife cuts faltered a bit as she said that.

Amaya blinked in concern, “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just that…” Yui gripped the knife tightly, her worries from earlier suddenly returning. After a few seconds she let out a long sigh and everything came spilling out. “To be honest, father wasn’t around a lot of the time. He always made me feel loved though, so I wanted to be a good daughter for him and never complained. I never even questioned it when he left for long periods of time.”

Without realizing it, her hands had begun to tremble. “It’s just hard to accept that he hid something like this from me for so long and I can’t stop thinking about what else he’s still hiding from me. Part of me wants to believe that he was probably trying to protect me from this world and give me a normal life. But it doesn’t change the fact that he left me here.”

Yui took a shaky breath, “I was so sure he wouldn’t have abandoned me before. Even now, I keep telling myself there must be an explanation. I can’t even bring myself be angry with him.” She shook her head, “Sorry for venting all this on you. I’ve never talked about this to anyone before and I guess I just don’t know what I should be feeling.”

Just as she finished her sentence, Yui felt something press against her from behind. She turned her head in surprise to see that Amaya had wrapped her arms around her in a hug. She had her head rested on her shoulder so that their faces brushed against each other.

“A-Amaya…?” Yui stammered at the unexpected gesture. She was so close…

“It’s okay, I understand.” Amaya spoke softly by her ear. “It’s complicated because he’s still family. I won’t tell you how to feel, but it’s clear that you have a strong bond so I don’t doubt that he does care for you. But no matter what happens, we will find him and we will get an explanation. I promise.”

Comforted by Amaya’s gentle murmurs, Yui closed her eyes as the uneasiness slowly faded from her mind. She was right. Until she heard the truth directly from her father, she shouldn’t let herself be shaken by what she had learned today. Yui exhaled quietly and let herself relax into Amaya’s embrace, reassured by just how…right this felt. They stayed like that for a while, silent except for the rhythmic click of the stove and the steadily quickening beat of her own heart.

Suddenly, Amaya tensed and pulled away, her spark of boldness forgotten.

“S-sorry,” she kept her focus to the floor. “I should have asked first.”

Yui shook her head, “No, that’s exactly what I needed. Thank you.”

Satisfied with that, Amaya quietly returned to her seat, a light blush still tinting her cheeks.

At the endearing sight, Yui felt her smile return as she continued slicing. The warm fluttering beat of her heart persisted even though they had parted. Her hands still shook a bit, but now for a completely different yet still unidentifiable reason.

In fact, she felt almost giddy. Curious to see if Amaya was in a similar state, she glanced behind her.

“Ah!” Yui jumped back at the sudden sharp pain at her hand. 

“Yui! Are you okay!” Amaya ran up to her.

“It’s fine. I just cut myself.” Yui replied, feeling more surprised at her mistake than anything. It didn’t look deep, barely a knick in fact. She sighed in annoyance at herself. She really should have been paying more attention.

“You’re hurt.” Amaya’s voice was full of concern. “Here, let me see.”

“It’s really nothing,” Yui assured her, but allowed her to lift up her hand. 

As soon as she saw the cut, Amaya went deathly still. Her expression became lax, her eyes blank and unfocused. She stared down intently as if she were caught in a trance.

“Amaya?” Yui said her name in confusion. She didn’t seem to notice.

She waved her other hand in front of her face and called louder, “Amaya!”

Amaya snapped her head up, eyes wide in an expression Yui couldn’t quite place.

“Are you okay?” Yui asked.

“Uh, yeah!” Amaya yelped, practically tripping over herself as she let go. She quickly backed away. “I-It doesn’t look too bad. I-I’ll go get you a band-aid!”  
“Yeah, there should be some in my room…”

Before Yui could even finish her sentence, Amaya had already run off. She tilted her head in confusion. What was that about?

*** 

Amaya didn’t stop running until she reached Yui’s room. She closed the door behind her and leaned up against it, slowly sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. Burying her head in her knees, she put her palms to her temples and took deep breaths, waiting for the pulsing in her head to die down.

She gritted her teeth desperately and swallowed, trying to ignore the aching dryness of her throat.

“Damn it…” she muttered to herself. She’d almost…

Amaya shook her head, she didn’t even want to think about it. Slowly, the pounding began to dissipate and eventually stopped.

With a shaky exhale, Amaya stood up and walked over to Yui’s desk, placing her hands on top to stabilize herself. It was alright, she could control this.  
Standing up, Amaya hugged her own shoulders as she thought about what else she had done without thinking. Dealing with the inconvenient side-effects of her powers was one thing, but controlling her feelings was another. Even now, she couldn’t stop thinking about how nice it had felt to hold her, how much she hadn’t wanted to let go. 

Amaya shook her head. She couldn’t tell her. Not when there was no way she would feel the same. She wasn’t…like her, right? Amaya felt herself flush as she remembered how Yui hadn’t let her pull away when they were holding hands and that almost loving look she had made when she smiled at her but pushed down the brief moment of hope. No, that was just her being nice. Yui would never think of her as anything more than a friend, she’d already accepted that. Trying to put on a neutral expression, Amaya dug through the desk drawer until she found the box of band-aids.

Walking back towards the kitchen, Amaya found it in her to smile. It didn’t matter that her feelings would never be returned, just having Yui as a friend was already more than she could ever ask for…and much more than she ever deserved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I am never writing a scene with that many characters ever again....I say, knowing that I will have to eventually. *annoyed screaming*  
> And this chapter ended up waaaay longer than expected. Eh, whatever. Let's hope I can finish chapter 5 within two months...  
> That's where things go from 0 to 1000 real fast.
> 
> Oh, and I think I'll be redoing the tags/notes a bit so don't panic if it changes all of a sudden.


	5. Close to You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I'm not dead. But, I did end up splitting this chapter so that 0-1000 will actually be next chapter.

Standing in the school hallway, Yui waited for Amaya to get out of class. Today was their first day back at school since Amaya had moved in. It had been a…tense car ride to say the least. But seeing as nobody had tried to kill anybody else, Yui called that a miracle. Since they didn’t need to meet up at the library in secret to see each other anymore, Yui simply waited by the entrance so that the two of them could head back together.

Although, she sure was taking a while. Just as she started to consider going to the first-year classrooms to look for her, Yui heard the sound of Amaya’s footsteps approaching.

“Sorry I’m late!” She called, stopping in front of her.

“It’s alright,” Yui replied and started towards the doors. “Then, let’s go.”

“Um, yeah. About that,” Amaya stopped her, looking slightly bothered. “Do you think we could just walk to and from school from now on?”

“Did something happen?” Yui asked, curious about the reason behind her unexpected request.

“Well you see, I got held up by some girls in my class.” Her expression grew more distressed as she continued. “Apparently, they saw me getting out of the car and thought I was dating one of them or something.”

“Seriously?” Yui tried to picture it, but couldn’t. It was much too absurd, she could barely even stand being in the same room as them.

“Right? Just thinking about it gives me the creeps.” Amaya shook her head. “I told them I was staying over because I was friends with you, but I’m not sure they believe me.”

Now that she mentioned it, Yui remembered having a similar interaction herself a few days after she had transferred. She’d gotten out of it by saying that they were distant relatives, just as she had initially expected.

“I wonder why people care so much,” Yui thought out loud. 

“They’re just popular because people think they’re pretty. That’s what I observed anyway,” Amaya explained and rolled her eyes. “If only they knew the truth.”

“Well, if you want to walk, I don’t mind,” Yui said as she moved towards the doors again. “I’d rather not deal with another stressful car ride like today anyway.”

“Ah! Sorry about that!” Amaya replied as she followed her out of the building. “I just don’t want to draw extra attention to myself.”

“It’s okay, I’m not blaming you,” Yui answered her with a light laugh. “Besides, if it means it’ll be just the two of us more often, I’m happy.”

Amaya looked back at her in bewilderment. “Just the two of us…?”

Noticing that she was no longer watching where she was going, Yui cried out a warning. “Amaya, watch out! The step!”

“Huh?”

She quickly faced forward but it was too late. Her foot missed the edge and a look of panic formed on her face as she lost her balance. Yui reached out and grabbed her sleeve in an attempt to save her from falling but yelped when she felt that gravity was dragging her down as well. Unable to pull her up, the two promptly crashed to the ground.

Yui groaned, the fall had knocked the wind out of her, but it hadn’t hurt. Surprisingly, the impact had been quite soft. Slowly raising her head, Yui found herself nose-to-nose with a heavily blushing Amaya. Realizing that she had fallen on top of Amaya, Yui quickly lifted herself onto her palms and knees to avoid crushing her.

“Are you okay!?” Yui looked down at her in worry.

“Uh…” A quiet choked sound was Amaya’s only reply as she lay frozen beneath her, staring up with wide eyes. 

This wasn’t good, Yui thought to herself. Maybe she had a concussion.

Their eyes remained locked for a while until Amaya shifted hers to the side with a tilt of her head. Yui felt her breath hitch unexpectedly at the sight. She wasn’t sure why, but there was something strangely appealing about the way Amaya’s dark hair was fanned out across the grass and the almost…heated glimmer in her crimson gaze. Unable to look away, Yui was suddenly aware of the heavy pounding of her heart.

After a few more seconds, Amaya finally found her voice. “I-I’m fine, but could you let me up?”

“Oh, sorry!” Yui quickly jumped up into a sitting position as she was pulled out of her daze, feeling weirdly self-conscious. _What was that just now?_

Amaya slowly sat up as well, still looking flushed while avoiding direct eye contact. “W-what about you?” she asked quietly. “You’re not hurt or anything?”

Yui shook her head. “No. You broke my fall after all. But are you sure you’re okay? You’re acting strange. You could have hit your head.”

“I’m a vampire. I can’t get hurt that easily.” She replied matter-of-factly before standing.

“But you can still trip apparently,” Yui teased gently as she got to her feet as well.

“Let’s just pretend that never happened.”

With that, the two passed through the school gates and continued down the road that led back to the house. As they walked, Yui watched Amaya quietly out of the corner of her eye. She appeared somewhat distracted and Yui was aware that she was keeping herself at a bit more of a distance than usual. It was probably out of embarrassment from her earlier stumble, but somehow Yui still didn’t like not being close to her.

Without really thinking about it, Yui reached out to take her hand.

Jumping a little at her touch, Amaya looked up in surprise. 

Seeing her startled reaction, Yui loosened her grip reluctantly. “You don’t want to?” It hadn’t occurred to her that Amaya might not like being touched, but she suddenly recalled how uncomfortable she would get towards any kind of physical contact.

“It’s not that.” Amaya quickly squeezed her hand in return. She was silent for a few seconds before continuing timidly, “You like holding my hand that much?”

Yui nodded, “It makes me feel safe I guess, knowing that you’re right here.” It was the first time she’d put the feeling into words, but doing so provided a sense of clarity. It always felt like as long as she was with her, nothing bad would happen. So, she did end up holding on to her when things got rough.

She thought hearing that would make Amaya act flustered again, but she simply smiled. “If that’s the case then,” she moved closer so that their shoulders brushed against each other, “this is okay?”

Yui smiled back at her, “Of course it is.”

Hearing her approval, Amaya’s expression became one of contentment. “Yeah, I guess this much is fine,” she whispered to herself.

“Hm?” Yui looked at her quizzically, unsure as to the meaning behind that statement.

“It’s nothing.”

They continued the rest of the way in a peaceful silence. With their hands intertwined like this, Yui felt the mysterious warmth in her heart grow a little more. Although she still wasn’t sure what it was, it felt like she was at the brink of finding an answer that should have been obvious. She gave Amaya’s hand a tiny squeeze. Well, whatever she was feeling, Yui was sure she’d figure it out someday. But for now, she was fine with just enjoying this moment.

***

Yui wandered through the gardens behind the house as she searched for Amaya. Life really had gotten more peaceful since she had started living with her. She’d been able to go school as if everything was normal and whenever they had a spare moment, the two would go through the house looking for information about her father. They still hadn’t found anything yet, but it was a big house so Yui tried to remain optimistic. Now that her homework was finished for the day, they could continue their search.

Amaya had said that she would be out here training, but the sheer size of the place didn’t make finding her easy. As she walked around, Yui couldn’t help but admire the surroundings. She’d never gotten a chance to appreciate it before, but the scenery out here really was quite beautiful. Stopping in front of a rose bush, she marveled over how each flower was in perfect full bloom.

Just then, a faint but sharp yell caused her to look up. Recognizing Amaya’s voice, Yui turned away from the flowers and headed towards the sound. Soon, she reached an open area surrounded with trees. Amaya stood in the center with her sword levelled in front of her. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and Yui noticed that she wasn’t wearing her jacket. It was hard to tell when she wore it, but she actually had quite an athletic build. And when she held her sword, it emphasized her lightly muscled but still slender arms. 

Realizing that she was staring, Yui shook her head and was about to call out when she saw that her eyes were closed in concentration. Curious, she decided to watch.

After a few seconds, a gust of wind filled the air with the rustling of leaves. As if on cue, Amaya’s eyes flashed open and she brought down her sword with a cry. Spinning around, she swung again and again as if surrounded by enemies.

Yui stood entranced at the breathtaking sight. Each strike was graceful, fluid, precise. Her blade shone as it reflected the moonlight, in perfect harmony with its master. She’d seen Amaya fight once before, but this was on a completely different level. Her whirling movements appeared more like a dance. Dangerous, yet alluring in its beauty.

Eventually, she came to a stop in her initial stance. She was still for a few seconds before letting out a long breath. Seeing that Yui was nearby, her face shifted into a cheerful sheepishness.

“Oh, were you watching?”

“Yeah," Yui said as she walked up to her, "It's the first time I've seen you use your sword.”

“I didn't have anywhere to practice at my apartment, so I was afraid I would get rusty. I guess that's one good thing about this place.”

Yui followed Amaya towards where she had left her scabbard and jacket on a nearby stone bench in front of a bed of lilies. After sheathing her sword, she sat and pulled off her hair tie. Yui watched intently as her dark hair fell back over her shoulders into its usual loose style, creating an elegant contrast with the white flowers.

Amaya looked up questioningly, “What?”

“N-nothing,” Yui said and quickly sat down beside her. Why was she feeling so nervous all of a sudden? 

“You're really good with your sword, huh?” she said hurriedly.

Amaya smiled at her compliment, “Thank you.”

“Have you ever thought about joining kendo club or anything?”

“I can’t do that,” Amaya replied with a laugh.

“Why not?” Yui asked, “I’m sure you’d be great.”

“Exactly, I’d stand out too much,” she replied. “And if I held back, it wouldn't be any fun or fair for anyone.”

“I guess you're right. But it's too bad.” Yui beamed at her, “Your movements are really beautiful.”

“Beautiful, huh?” Amaya looked up at the night sky, a nostalgic look on her face. “I used to get that a lot.”

Wondering what prompted that response, Yui asked, “So, how did you get so good?”

“Well, the vampire powers help. But I’ve been practicing since I was really young.” Amaya reached over to trace the silk wrappings on the hilt of her sword. “My father taught me actually.”

“Your father?” Yui said, more curious than ever. Amaya rarely talked about her past and she always looked pained when she did. But this time was different. Instead it looked like she was thinking of fond memories. Maybe with the right questions, she’d open up. “What kind of person was he?”

Amaya smiled as she thought to herself, “He was patient and caring, although he could be overprotective sometimes. But no matter what, he always believed in me and pushed me to keep improving.”

“It sounds like he was a good man.”

“He was,” Amaya began to look sad again as she said that. “He's gone now though.”

If Amaya's parents were human, it was natural to assume that they had passed before her. But it really did seem that there was more to it. Yui hesitated a bit before asking her next question, "What happened to him?"

There was a long silence before Amaya spoke again, her voice quiet and sorrowful. “Maybe I'll tell you about it someday.”

Yui wanted to ask more, but it was clear that Amaya still wasn’t ready to talk about it. She decided to change the subject. “You must be tired from training. Do you want something to drink?”

“Not really…,” She gave her a weird look. “What? Are you offering me blood or something?”

Yui scooted a little bit away from her.

“Ah! I'm kidding!” Amaya waved her hands frantically, “I wouldn't actually...!”

“I know. I'm just teasing.” Yui moved closer again and linked their arms to let her know that she hadn't taken her joke seriously. “Come on. Let's go see if we can find something today.”

She smiled back at her. “Okay,” Amaya said and stood with her as she picked up her jacket and sword.  
With that, the two made their way back to the house, still arm in arm.

However, as they continued their lighthearted conversation, neither noticed a figure silently watching them from the shadows of the tree line.

***

Yui smiled to herself as she cheerfully headed to the kitchen. Studying had made her thirsty, so she had decided to go make herself something to drink. Just as she began thinking about what she should make, she noticed Subaru coming from the opposite direction. Although she told herself that there was nothing to fear anymore, Yui still eyed him suspiciously as she walked past.

Actually, now that she thought about it, she hardly ever saw any of them anymore. Yui figured it was because she always hanging out with Amaya, and she didn't like being around them. Of course she had wanted them to leave her alone, but she was surprised that they would give up that easily. Did Amaya really scare them that much?

She saw him glance over at her for a second, but he didn't say anything. Deciding not to worry about it, Yui continued on her way.

“Why are you still here?”

Yui stopped and turned around, surprised that he had spoken to her. “What?”

“You said you wanted to leave, right? So why haven't you?” Subaru hesitated for a moment, as if he had a hard time admitting what he said next. “I saw your friend in the garden the other day. She's strong. If you asked her to get you out of here no one could stop her.”

Yui frowned, “You were watching us? Why?”

“I wanted to know if she was serious,” he said, before asking again. “So why aren't you leaving?”

“I can't. Not until I figure out what's going on and why my father sent me here,” she replied. Why would he even ask that? They were the ones who wouldn't let her leave. “You don't know anything, do you?”

“No.”

“I see.” Yui turned to walk away. She didn't know why she bothered asking anymore. They never gave her any useful information.

“Wait.” He pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to her. “Here.”

“A knife?” She took it from him warily. “Why are you giving me this?”

“It's a weapon that works against vampires," he explained. "You can't rely on her to be there to protect you all the time. So you should have something to defend yourself with.”

Yui stared down at the knife in her hand, then back up at him in confusion. He had been the one who had destroyed her cell phone, severing her contact with her father. Why would he care whether she could defend herself? It didn’t make sense. She tried looking for some kind of motive in his expression, but it was unreadable.

Without waiting for a response, he started to walk away.

Yui watched him go, still confused. She called after him, “Why are you helping me?”

He stopped but didn't look back at her.

“...I don't know.”

***

As she continued to the kitchen and made her drink, Yui remained lost in thought. She'd stuck the knife into her back pocket and its unfamiliar weight was a constant reminder of what had happened. Unable to think of any reason why Subaru would help her, she was still pondering when she returned to her room.

Yui opened the door to find Amaya just as she had left her.

She looked up from where she lay on her bed with a book in her hands. “Hey, you’re back.” 

It was raining today, so she had decided to take a break from training. Yui had thought Amaya would be lonely waiting around by herself with nothing to do, so she had invited her to pass the time in her room for the day.

Greeting her with a small smile, Yui went to set her cup down on her desk.

“Is something wrong?” Amaya's voice came from behind her. “You seem kind of tense.”

Yui turned around in surprise and looked at her endearingly. “You always know what I'm thinking, don't you.”

“Actually,” she began, “I ran into Subaru just now.”

Amaya sat up in alarm, “Are you okay!?”

“Ah, don’t worry, he didn’t do anything”, she quickly reassured her. “He just gave me something.”

“Oh, okay.” After appearing to relax, she squinted thoughtfully. “Wait, which one is he again?”

Yui blinked at her, “The one with silver hair. He's in your grade. Shouldn't you know this?”

She shrugged, “Sometimes I get their names mixed up. They're all pretty much the same.”

Yui was baffled. If Amaya was originally sent here to conduct surveillance, shouldn't she at least know who her targets were? 

“Are you really doing your job?”

“Right now, my job is protecting you. I don't need to remember their names to do that.”

Yui sighed. Well, she did appreciate that Amaya was so focused on helping her, but she began wondering if it was really okay for her to neglect her other objective.

“Well, anyway. He gave me this.” She took out the knife and handed it to Amaya, who examined it curiously.

“He said it was a weapon that worked against vampires and that I could use it to defend myself,” she explained as she sat beside her. “I don't know why he's suddenly decided to help me though. He usually never even talks to me.”

“Hmm...,” Amaya hummed thoughtfully to herself, “Well I guess that doesn't matter. It's a gift, so you can do whatever you want with it.”

“I don't even know how to use it though,” Yui replied uncertainly. “You use a knife too, right?”

“You mean this?” She drew out her own to show her. “It's not quite the same though.”

Seeing them side by side, Yui realized that the two blades were certainly quite different. They were around the same the same length, but Amaya’s was slightly curved in the same way her sword was instead of straight. Not only that, it appeared to only be sharp on one edge instead of both.

Looking back up at Amaya, Yui was surprised to see that she was scowling a little. Noticing the questioning look she was making, Amaya quickly softened her expression as she passed the knife back and sheathed her dagger. Although, Yui noticed that there was a sort of sulkiness to how she was acting. It almost seemed like she was... jealous?

“Do you...not like me having this?”

Amaya flinched slightly, “No, there's no problem with it. You should probably have a weapon anyway, so I'm sure it will be useful.” She spoke calmly, but something about her tone still sounded bitter. It made her thinly veiled jealousy all the more clear.

Yui couldn’t help but giggle, “You really are jealous.”

“What!? No I’m not!” she exclaimed, a blush already forming on her cheeks as she crossed her arms in an indignant pout. “I just…don’t like _him_.”

Her voice lowered into a quiet grumble “I’m not saying you can’t talk to them. That’d be stupid. And it might be necessary to get information. It’s just…ugh…I hate feeling like this.” she trailed off in frustration, seemingly unable to put her feelings into words.

Smiling softly, Yui reached out to gently pat her on the head. “It’s alright to feel that way. And there’s nothing wrong with talking about it either.”

Amaya blushed a little deeper at the gesture and looked at her shyly. “I’m sorry. I guess I liked that you relied on me a little too much.”

“Is that what it is? You know I’ll always like you best, right?” Yui reassured her.

“Really?”

"Of course. Besides, who else is going to teach me how to use this? Well, I still don't want to kill anyone, but I do want to be able to defend myself.”

Amaya smiled, seemingly satisfied. “Then, do you want to come with me for training tomorrow?”

Yui nodded eagerly and continued to cheerfully stroke Amaya’s hair, enjoying the smooth, silky feel against her palm. She was about to start running her fingers through it when Amaya suddenly stood stiffly.

“Um, it’s getting kind of late. I should get back to my own room.” She walked briskly to the door. “See you tomorrow.” And with that she was gone.

Yui lowered her arm with a long sigh. She sure had a tendency to leave in a hurry. Flopping down heavily on the spot where Amaya had just been, Yui turned her cheek against the pillows, trying to pick up on any lingering sign that she had been here. But of course, there was no heat or even much of a scent. As expected of a professional assassin, she thought to herself. Even so, there was still a sort of presence that she left behind. Like a breath of clear air after the rain.

It was funny. They'd only met a short while ago, and yet it already felt like they had known each other forever. Yui had no idea how they had gotten this close so fast, and she knew that Amaya wasn’t far away, but she still felt strangely lonely when she wasn’t right beside her. She didn't know when this feeling of longing had started. She wasn't even sure what exactly it was that she wanted.

But still…Yui smiled to herself as she sat up and headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. She couldn’t wait to see her tomorrow.

***

At the same time, Amaya lay on the bed in her own room, staring at the ceiling detachedly. She sighed to herself.

It was no use.

No matter how much she tried to stop herself, she couldn’t stop falling for her. Even if she focused on training, cleared her mind with meditation…none of it made a difference as soon as she saw her again. She couldn’t afford to spend much time away from her on the off chance that something did happen, but she’d thought that avoiding being around her all the time would help.

It had the complete opposite effect. Being apart from her just made her yearn to be by her side even more. It didn’t help that Yui was always so affectionate when they were together. But Amaya didn’t have the heart to tell her to stop, especially when it seemed to make her so happy. And she couldn’t deny that she liked it, she _really_ liked it.

Amaya rolled on to her side and stared at the dagger she kept next to her pillow. They’d never be together, not in the way she wanted, but that didn’t mean she still couldn’t protect her. And she would protect her. No matter what, she wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. With the way things were, that was the best and only way she could show her love.

She began thinking about what she had promised to do tomorrow. Amaya knew that Yui didn’t really want to hurt anyone. That was just how kind she was. But, she knew it was a necessity for her to learn given their situation. Still, she could at least do her best to make sure she never had to.

Closing her eyes, Amaya drew her legs up to her chest. When had she become so hopelessly in love with her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that they're so useless but you won't have to put up with it for much longer, for real this time. I'm going to try really hard to get chapter 6 out as soon as I can but you can't rush quality writing.


	6. Unrestrainable Emotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *banging pots and pans* Alright, alright, alright!! It's time for what you've all been waiting for!!  
> Also Happy Frickin' Femslash February!!! (That's still a thing, right?)  
> (And I also updated a scene to the end of Chapter 5 a few days after I posted it, so check that out if you missed it)

A sudden knock at the door pulled Yui out of her concentration. That was strange. It was a little too soon for Amaya to have finished with her training. Well, maybe she had decided to end earlier today so they could spend more time together.

Smiling at that thought, she stood to go let her in. However, her smile faded away as soon as she opened the door.

It was Kanato.

“Um…do you need something?” Yui asked warily as she peered through the gap of her half open door.

“You could say that.” He glanced behind her. “That girl’s not here?”

“You’re looking for Amaya…?”

“And why would I want to talk to her!”

Yui tensed, her grip on the doorknob tightened. This didn’t look good.

Kanato squeezed his teddy bear as if wanting to strangle it. “That stupid girl has gotten in my way for long enough. But it turns out, she’s not with you all the time, is she?” He took a slow step forward.

Definitely not good. 

She tried to shut the door, but of course Kanato shoved it open easily.

“Okay,” Yui backed away with her hands raised defensively, “just calm down…”

“Don’t tell me what to do!”

Well, reasoning never did work with them. Trying to stay calm, Yui considered her options. Although running didn’t seem possible since Kanato was blocking the only entrance, and she doubted locking herself in the bathroom would stop him for long.

Why did this have to happen when Amaya wasn’t within shouting distance?

That was when she remembered. There was a knife on her nightstand.

Yui glanced in that direction. It wasn't far and Amaya had taught her a couple of moves the other day. If she could get to it, then maybe...she recalled her words.

_”They won’t see you as a serious threat, but you can use that to your advantage. So for this to work, you can’t hesitate.”_

She didn’t want to use it, but she didn’t see any other way out of this. It was unlikely, but maybe just looking like she would put up a fight would get him to back off. All she had to do was get over there before he noticed what she was planning. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she prepared to make her move.

But her heart sank when she looked back to see that Kanato had followed her line of sight.

He laughed lightly. “Humans are so stupid. You really think that’s going to work?”

Okay, so she wasn’t going to be able to catch him by surprise. Unless….

Yui feigned a relieved expression and looked over his shoulder. “Amaya!”

“What!?” Kanato whirled around, looking alarmed.

_Now!_

Yui made a dash for the knife.

“You!” Realizing that he had been tricked, Kanato turned and lunged at her.

Jumping to the side to dodge it, Yui felt her foot catch on something and yelped as she lost her balance. Pain exploded behind her head as she fell to the floor, her vision swimming. Yui desperately tried to stand. She couldn’t let it end like this. But she could already feel her consciousness slipping. The last thing she heard was Kanato’s amused laugh before everything went black.

***

_“What are you…!? Get away from her!”_

A voice…? 

_“Yui!? Can you hear me? Please be okay…”_

It sounded so faint, like it was drifting through a fog. Yui wanted to reply, but everything seemed numb. 

Even so…just hearing it filled her with a sense of security. As her mind slipped back into the depths, she was almost certain that she felt someone take her hand, as if telling her that everything was alright.

***

Yui opened her eyes slowly as she began to regain consciousness. Blinking away the drowsiness, she realized that she was lying in bed. She wasn’t sure how she’d gotten there, but she vaguely remembered the sensation of being gently held. As she looked around, she noticed a familiar figure seated at her bedside, head bowed in worry.

“Amaya?”

Hearing her voice, she looked up and her eyes shone with relief.

“Yui! You’re awake!”

“Yeah…how…” She tried sitting up but winced at the sudden wave of dizziness.

“Whoa!” Amaya quickly moved to stabilize her and helped her sit on the edge of the bed. “Take it easy. It looks like you hit your head pretty hard.”

“Thanks, I think I’m okay now.” Yui waited until the pain in her head gradually subsided. “What happened?”

Amaya’s expression became strained again as she explained slowly. “I came to see you after training like usual and the door was open. When I came in, you were unconscious and that guy was…” Her shoulders tensed as she gritted her teeth in anger.

Right, Yui remembered now. She’d tripped trying to get away from Kanato. Reaching up to her neck, she felt a wave of relief when she didn’t find any wounds. So Amaya had gotten here in time.

There was a flash of pain in Amaya’s eyes at that gesture. Her voice began to shake as she continued. “When I saw you just lying there, I was so scared. I thought I was too late. I thought...” The words caught in her throat as she trembled, eyes shining as if on the verge of tears. She was gripping the mattress so tightly, Yui was afraid she might accidentally rip a hole in it.

“Whoa, hey, hey, hey.” Yui hadn’t expected her to react this way, but she tried her best to calm her down. “Look, I'm right here. Nothing happened. It's alright.”

“It's not alright! If I'd been even a few seconds later, you could have...” Amaya trailed off again, her voice lowering in a hoarse whisper, “I can't lose you.”

Yui hesitated, she'd never seen her get this upset and was unsure how to console her. She’d always been so confident and fearless when dealing with the brothers before. But right now, it looked like she was about to shatter into a million pieces. Of course she knew that Amaya cared deeply about her, but the desperation in her voice made Yui wonder if she had some other motivation beyond friendship. Did keeping her safe really mean so much to her?

“Amaya, I know I've asked before but…,” Seeing her tense up further, Yui faltered, but something told her that she had to push through. “Why exactly do you want to protect me so badly?”

“Because I'm in love with you!”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Amaya’s eyes went wide in horror at her confession.

Yui stared back in shock as she tried to wrap her head around what Amaya had just said. “In love? With me?” She echoed back questioningly.  
Looking away, Amaya nodded slowly.

“But we're both girls?”

Yui wasn’t sure what else she was supposed to say, but seeing the pained look in Amaya's eyes immediately made her regret using such an automated response.

“That's partly why I didn't want to tell you,” Amaya replied nervously, still not meeting her eyes. “I know that love between people of the same sex isn't seen as normal anymore and I didn't want you to hate me for it.”

“Amaya...I couldn't hate you. Not for that. Have you been worrying about that this whole time?”

“I know it’s silly of me to think you would, but I still couldn’t help thinking that maybe you would treat me differently if you knew.”

“Of course not. No matter what, you're still my friend. You don't need to hide who you are from me.” 

The tension slowly fell away from Amaya’s shoulders as she sighed in relief. Satisfied that her words had helped Amaya relax a little, Yui smiled at her gently before continuing. “I am surprised though. Why would you fall for me of all people?”

“How could I not?” Her eyes sparkled with a rosy light as she spoke. “You’re sweet, and kind, and so unbelievably brave. On the day we met, you called me your friend and that’s something I can never repay you for. It made me feel like I finally wasn't alone and that maybe there was still some good in this world. Now just being close to you makes me happier than I thought was still possible.”

Yui was speechless as she listened. She had no idea that she felt this strongly about her. Although now that she began thinking back to all the time they had spent together, suddenly some of Amaya's strange behavior started to make sense. In fact, now that she thought about it, Yui began to realize just how bad Amaya was at hiding her emotions. Seeing the now unmistakable love reflected in her eyes, Yui felt her chest tighten. How had she not noticed before?

Amaya’s voice was quiet as she continued, her knees rubbing together shyly. “You're the first person I've gotten close to in a long time and you've become special to me. That's why the thought of you being in danger...hurts so much.” Her voice shook again at the words.

Yui’s expression softened in understanding as the drive behind Amaya’s actions became crystal clear. “So that’s why you hate Ayato and the others so much?”

“Well it’s not the only reason, but yes. After all,” she clenched her hands again, “it’s only natural to get angry at anyone who tries to hurt the girl you love, right?”

The tender way in which Amaya spoke had Yui’s heart fluttering again. It was almost like it was trying to tell her something important. Was she...happy to hear that Amaya had feelings for her? Still unsure, she decided to put it aside for now. “I still can’t believe I didn’t notice. You really weren’t going to say anything?”

“I didn't want to force my feelings on you,” Amaya explained. “You've got enough problems to deal with. And I didn't want you to think that you owed me anything for helping you. I know this is something I just have to forget, but every time you smile at me, or hold my hand, I can't help but fall for you even more.” She sighed in resignation before continuing, “Even though I knew that there was no way you would feel the same.”

Feel the same? 

Those words jumped out at her. 

Wait. Did she? 

Yui felt the fluttering quicken in excitement as the answer to all her unknown emotions slowly came together, like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. The warm feeling whenever they held hands, the way her heart pounded whenever she made that adorably flustered expression…the way she always wanted to be with her... Was that…love?

_Am I… in love with Amaya?_

As the truth emerged, her mind seemed to light up in celebration. The intensity of emotion that hit her was enough to make her heart ache with longing again. And this time, she knew exactly what it was. How could she not have realized something so obvious?

Suddenly aware that Amaya was still talking, Yui pulled herself out of her thoughts.

“I’m sorry for making things awkward between us—”

“What if I did?”

Amaya stopped midsentence, turning towards her in surprise, “…What?”

“What if I did…feel the same?” Yui spoke quietly, nervous despite the fact that she already knew how Amaya felt.

For a second, Amaya’s expression was full of joy. But it was quickly replaced by one of pain as she looked away again. “Stop it. Don't give me hope when there isn't any.”

“What?” Yui was confused. She didn’t believe her…? “I’m being serious. I think I really am—”

“No, you’re not,” Amaya said firmly. “What I’m saying is probably just influencing you. Because there’s no way you could love someone like me.”

“What are you saying!?” Yui quickly took Amaya’s hands in her own so that she had to face her. She yelped at the sudden pull, her eyes wide in shock. “You’re the one who’s always supporting me, encouraging me, making me feel safe. For a long time, I didn’t understand why every little thing you did would warm my heart. I guess I just never thought I could feel this way for another girl. Well, I knew it happened but it never seemed like something I could have. But I know now. Being with you makes me believe that I can be brave.”

Yui had no idea where the words were coming from, but saying it out loud made everything clearer than ever. Perhaps this feeling had always been inside of her, just waiting until she was able to understand it so it could come to the surface. 

Staring in awe, Amaya held her gaze for a second before looking down again. 

Seeing that she didn’t look convinced, Yui’s expression wavered, “You still don’t believe me?”

“I-I want to,” Amaya whispered sadly. “But it’s too good to be true.”

“Amaya, I’ve never felt more certain of anything. There's no words that can describe how happy I am to finally be able to put a name to this feeling. So I’ll say it as many times as I need to until you believe me.”

Amaya raised her head, her gorgeous cat's eyes sparkling. 

Since she wasn't turning away this time, Yui offered her a smile. It looked like she’d finally gotten through to her.

Turning red all of a sudden, Amaya's expression shifted into that flustered one that Yui adored so much.

“What is it?” Yui asked.

“Nothing, I just... really want to kiss you right now.” Her eyes glimmered with a hopeful yet shy light.

Yui’s heart lurched at the sudden request. Although she did feel a sense of anticipation at the thought of trying it. A kiss with Amaya…what would that be like?

“You don’t have to!” Amaya added quickly, her words coming out in a panic. “I’m sorry. It’s probably too soon for me to ask—” 

“You can.” Yui flushed as the words slipped out. Her heart beginning to race again in both excitement and nervousness.

Those simple words cut off Amaya’s ramble, her blush deepening further. She remained frozen for a few seconds before managing to speak again, her voice scarcely a whisper. 

“Then…” She slowly leaned in and brought her hand up to her cheek. Yui could feel her shaking a little bit and her heart sped up even more, highly aware that there was barely any space separating them now.

Amaya stopped short, her expression still uneasy. “If you don’t like it, tell me and I’ll stop. Okay?”

Yui nodded, conscious of how her face burned against the coolness of Amaya’s palm. This was really happening…

After a moment more of hesitation, Amaya finally closed the distance between their lips.

It was gentle but firm. So equally shy and demanding, it made Yui feel like she was floating on air. She slowly closed her eyes as she let herself melt into the kiss, savoring every tiny movement of Amaya's lips against her own. Her left hand found Amaya's right again as their fingers intertwined against the sheets. Tilting her head a little bit for a better angle, Yui reached up to run her fingers through Amaya's hair. It was exactly as soft as she had imagined.

Suddenly, Amaya put more force into the kiss and moved her hand to her shoulder. Yui squeaked in surprise as she fell backwards. As soon as they hit the bed, Amaya deepened the kiss. The new sensation caused Yui to shudder beneath her, the heat in her face spreading throughout her entire body as her mind clouded over. Growing light-headed as time went on, Yui felt her strength slowly leave her as her hand fell back against the mattress. Amaya shifted her hold to encircle Yui's wrist. The fingers of her other hand were still laced with Yui's, and she gave her a gentle squeeze.

After some time, Amaya finally broke their kiss. Yui gasped for air, she hadn't realized that she'd been running out of breath.

Still panting heavily and dazed with pleasure, she slowly opened her eyes to look up at Amaya. She held herself up a short distance above her, her eyes glassy with a loving shine, her cheeks still dusted with color.

As soon as Yui met her eyes, Amaya's expression became startled and she hastily jumped off of her, face bright with embarrassment. "Sorry!" she yelped.

Still lying motionless, Yui went to touch her lips, completely in awe of what had just happened.

Her first kiss had been with a girl... and it had felt _amazing._

“I-I didn’t mean to…um…” Amaya stuttered from where she stood stiffly. “I-I’ll just go now!”

Alerted that Amaya was turning to leave, Yui widened her eyes and sat up quickly.

“Wait!” She reached out and grabbed on to her sleeve.

Turning in surprise at the pull, Amaya stared back at her in alarm.

Pinching the fabric of her jacket, Yui swallowed slightly.

“Don't go.”

Amaya stood frozen in disbelief for a few seconds before replying, her voice quiet and shy.

“Okay.”

***

A short while later, the two were lying in bed facing each other. Yui had changed into her nightgown and Amaya had taken off her jacket. She still looked tense though, and was clearly trying to avoid looking her in the eye.

Yui smiled at her gently, “Everything okay?”

“Hm! Um…yeah…”

“You don’t need to be so nervous.”

“Sorry…it’s just…being in the same bed as you is…um…,” Amaya shrunk under the covers a little as she tried to hide her blush, “I've never been with someone like this before, so…I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do…”

“You haven’t? But, that kiss from earlier…how…” Yui felt her own cheeks grow warm as she asked.

“Well…,” Amaya mumbled, “I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it...a lot.” It really looked like she wanted to melt into the sheets.

“Wait, then that was your first kiss too!? You gave me your first kiss!?” Yui could hardly believe it. She’d really received something that special from her…

“Yeah…” Reddening even further, Amaya squeaked and buried her face into the pillow. 

So cute…, Yui thought to herself as she stared lovingly at the adorable scene. That’s right, even though Amaya was a vampire, she was a girl in love too.

Yui wanted more than anything to move closer to her, but she knew that Amaya was probably at her limit, so she held back for now. Instead, she reached out to softly place her hand over her palm. Amaya peeked up shyly at her touch and Yui gave her an understanding smile.

“That's okay. I don’t really know either. But, we'll figure it out together. Just like always.”

Amaya nodded slowly and Yui could feel the tension leave her. 

“Good night, Amaya.”

“Yeah, good night.”

Yui gave her hand one last squeeze before closing her eyes, knowing that for once she would truly be able to sleep without worry.

***

Yui was dreaming. She wasn’t sure how she knew this, but she did. The sound of laughter caught her attention. Turning towards it, a familiar lock of dark hair drifted across her vision.

It was definitely Amaya. But, she wasn’t paying attention to her. Rather, it didn’t look like she was aware of her presence in this particular dream. As she walked past, Yui noticed with a start that she was holding hands with someone.

Blinking in surprise, Yui moved her gaze upwards to see that that person was…her? She watched herself laugh cheerfully at something Amaya had said. They looked happy, and Yui wondered if this was what she and Amaya would look like to someone passing by. The thought made her smile, but even if this was a dream, it felt very odd to be watching herself like this. 

No, it wasn’t just that. She didn’t know why, but it felt like there was something strange with this scene. Specifically with the person who was supposed to be her. Confused, Yui studied the person more closely. She had her hair, her eyes, her face. Every detail was exactly the same. Yet, something still felt wrong, as if that wasn’t really her.

Yui continued to watch as the other her suddenly pulled Amaya to a stop. She smiled and turned to face her. The other her then slowly traced her hand up her arm to her shoulder.

And stuck her hand right through Amaya's chest. Yui wanted to scream but no sound came out. She felt rooted in place and could only watch in horror as the person who looked like her withdrew her hand from Amaya’s chest, a bloody mess of flesh in her grasp. Was that...her heart? Amaya's lifeless body fell to the ground, her dull eyes frozen in a look of shock and betrayal. The body of the girl she'd come to love then crumbled into dust.

Yui raised her shaking hands to cover her mouth in dread at the scene and looked up fearfully at the person who had done this.

She slowly turned to stare straight at her and Yui watched as her own face twisted into the cruelest smile she had ever seen.

With that, the scene began dissolving into black smoke as the person in front of her seemed to shift. Yui barely got a glimpse of long violet hair and a flowing dress before her vision faded into darkness.

***

The clash of blades and echoing screams of anguish jolted Amaya from her sleep. She sat up and placed her palm on her forehead. Why would she dream of that now...

Amaya shook her head to rid herself of the thought. It was just a remnant of a past life and meant nothing now. Especially because…she smiled and blushed faintly as she remembered what had just happened. Even now, she could hardly believe it.

Sure that the sight of her beloved would make her lingering uneasiness fade, Amaya glanced beside her but frowned in confusion when she found the other side of the bed to be empty. She looked around the room but there was nobody around either. What was even stranger was that the bedroom door was open.

Growing concerned, Amaya threw off the covers and quickly pulled on her boots and jacket. She really hoped Yui had just gone to get a snack or something but she still had a bad feeling about this. After taking her dagger as well, Amaya left the room to go look for Yui.

She’d been walking through the halls for a little while with no luck when she spotted someone leaning up against the wall some ways in front of her.

Silver hair... perpetual scowl...it looked like the one who'd given Yui the knife the other day. Subaru, was it?

She briefly wondered if she should ask about his reasoning behind that, but decided against it. There was no point in that. Besides, she had something more important to do right now.

As she passed by, she caught him shooting a glare at her, to which she returned in kind. Even though she didn’t acknowledge him further, she could still sense his gaze burning uncomfortably into her back as she walked past.

Amaya clicked her tongue in annoyance. Alright fine, she’d play along.

“You got something to say to me?” She snapped, whirling around.

Subaru glared at her for a second before responding.

“What is it with you? You think you’re so much better just because you’re kind of good with a sword?”

Amaya narrowed her eyes. _That’s_ what this was about?

“Besides,” he continued, “what do you get out of helping her anyway?”

“I’m doing this because I want to, not because I’m looking for a reward,” she answered sharply. “The hell do you care anyway?”

“Cut the crap. You think you’re her knight in shining armor or something? There’s no way you’re really that good of a person. You’ll probably just betray her eventually anyway.”

 _What. The. Hell._ Amaya felt her gut begin to churn at the insinuation. She knew better than anyone that she was far from perfect. But she loved Yui more than anything. And it was nothing short of a miracle that she felt the same for a screw-up like herself. No matter what, she would never betray her. Not even if Krul herself ordered it.

“You’re a vampire too. So don’t pretend to be oh so righteous. People like us can never become heroes. So quit acting like one.”

Okay, that did it. 

“I am nothing like you,” She hissed, white hot anger clouding her vision, “so don’t think that you know anything about me. And you don’t get to tell me how I should act.”

Amaya’s hands shook at her sides as she tried to speak calmly.

“And who decided that a vampire can’t be a hero anyway? I’m the one who defines what kind of person I am.”

Subaru widened his eyes, seemingly taken aback by her words.

Satisfied that she had shut him up, Amaya turned away, making it clear that she had nothing more to say.

“Hey, we’re not done.”

Subaru moved to grab her wrist. She slapped his hand away with a fierce glare.

“Yes we are. I don’t need to explain myself to you.”

Refusing to waste any more time, Amaya stormed off without looking back. She kept going straight forward with no destination in mind, head still ringing in outrage.

_“~~!!”_

A faint yell caught Amaya’s attention. Was that was Yui’s voice…? Forcibly pushing the argument aside for now, she closed her eyes and crouched to the floor. She concentrated and tried to pinpoint the source. 

_“~~!?”_

It was definitely Yui. She couldn’t make out what she was saying, but it sounded like she was some distance below her. From the way her voice echoed, she was able to picture the structure of the space she was in. A tunnel…underground. The entrance was…on the ground floor…a door…stairs leading down. 

And she wasn’t alone. She could now hear two separate sets of footsteps heading towards her.

Amaya’s eyes flashed open as dread ran through her veins. _Oh no…_

Without wasting a moment, she ran as fast as she could towards where she had heard Yui’s voice. She had to make it in time.

***

Yui gasped and woke up with a start. Putting her hand to her mouth, she tried to take deep breaths while holding herself tightly but the image of Amaya’s face gripped by death remained burned in her mind.

It was just a dream. It was just a dream. She kept telling herself that. It wasn’t real. Amaya wasn’t dead. She was alive. She was right here…  
But when she reached out to take her hand, Yui felt nothing but cold stone. Feeling a stab of panic, Yui raised her head and looked around frantically. Instead of her bedroom, she saw that she was in a wide stone passage dimly lit by torchlight with a canal running through the middle.

Where…was she? 

Yui became increasingly confused. She had definitely fallen asleep in her bedroom. So, did someone bring her here? No it couldn’t be, there was nobody else around. Then, did she walk here in her sleep? She didn’t remember ever having a habit of that though. 

Getting to her feet, Yui was made very aware that she was both barefoot and still in her pajamas. There was no way she could have actually sleepwalked all the way here, right…? A cold draft blew through the tunnel, causing Yui to shiver.

Well anyway, she had to figure out how to get out of here. Amaya would probably be worried about her too. Yui looked left and right but both directions looked identical, which gave her no idea as to which way she had come in.

“Hello!!” She yelled as loud as she could. “Anyone!?”

Her voice sounded lonely as it echoed around. Yui sighed to herself. She didn’t really want to just pick a direction and end up even more lost, but staying here didn’t seem like much of an option. It seemed to be underground, but why was there a place like this beneath the house in the first place?

Well, it was a straight tunnel so if she went the wrong way she could always just go back. She turned to her left and was about to take a step when there was an amused laugh from behind her.

Yui whirled around to see Laito standing where there had been just empty space a second before. She yelped and jumped back in surprise, bumping into something in the process. Looking over her shoulder, she tensed upon seeing that Ayato had appeared as well.

Oh this wasn't good. Trying to stay calm, Yui put herself as far away from both of them as she could.

“Wh, what are you two doing here?”

“Shouldn't we be asking you that?” Laito said. “How did you get down here?”

“I don't know. I just woke up here,” Yui explained. “So um, how do I get out of here?”

“And why would you want to do that?” Ayato asked.

Yui flinched as he suddenly had her trapped against the wall. “Wha, what are you...?”

“Isn't that obvious?” Ayato smirked. “Your friend doesn't know you're here, so she won't be able to interrupt.”

Laito giggled as he knelt by her leg. “You didn't think we'd stay away for long, did you? Not when your blood is so irresistible.”

“You don't want to do this,” Yui warned, “When Amaya finds out, she'll...”

“She'll do what? I don't think she'll be so tough when she finds you after this.”

“She gave Kanato quite a scare too so we have to make her pay for that,” Laito added.

Yui glared indignantly. “You're going after me to get back at Amaya!? You really are afraid of her.”

“Shut up,” Ayato hissed and Yui winced as he tightened his grip on her. “I said she'd regret getting in my way and I meant it.”

“Well, I wanted to make her watch,” Laito admitted. “But that’s probably too risky.”

Hearing that they had considered something that cruel to hurt Amaya made Yui seethe with anger. “You could never break her.”

“We’ll see about that.” Ayato moved in towards her neck.

“No, stop it!” She tried push him away but he was too strong and she didn't even have her knife with her. But still, Yui refused to give in. This was not going to happen again, she wouldn't let it.

“Struggle all you want, it won't help.” Ayato said by her ear while Laito laughed in delight from her other side. “It’ll just make this more fun.”

Knowing that she couldn’t get away, Yui closed her eyes and braced for the pain.

Except that it never came. There was a cry of surprise from her right as she felt Laito being pulled off of her. 

Yui opened her eyes in time to see Amaya slam Laito face-first into the wall, his arm wrenched behind his back in a painful looking lock. She pulled up on it. There was a sickening crack. Laito pained howl echoed off the stone walls as he fell to the ground, his arm twisted at a strange angle. Whether it was dislocated or broken, Yui wasn’t sure.

Leaving him there, Amaya slowly turned towards them next. Yui was about to feel relieved, but that wavered as soon as she saw her face. Her eyes, usually filled with such warmth and love, were now cold and hard, the feline pupils narrowed into slits. The look on her face was so chilling, Yui couldn’t help but quiver. She’d seen her get mad before, but never like this. However, she knew that this rage wasn’t directed at her.

Ayato stood similarly frozen and Yui could practically see him breaking into a cold sweat.

After briefly surveying the situation, Amaya wordlessly reached back to draw her dagger and held it before her in a reverse grip, her expression more murderous than ever.

Quickly letting go of her, Ayato took a step back and laughed nervously. “I-I was just kidding. You can put that away.”

But, Yui knew that Amaya was beyond reason at this point. Paying no attention to his pleas, she sprang forward. He cursed and tried to dodge it, but Amaya was faster. She closed the distance in the blink of an eye and slashed upwards. Ayato grunted in pain as the blade sliced into his arm which he had tried to guard with at the last second.

He barely managed to avoid Amaya’s next two strikes, but that didn’t seem to deter her. She dropped without warning to deliver a kick that swiped his legs out from under him. He went down hard. She got up smoothly and followed up with another savage kick to the ribs. There was a dull crunch and Ayato’s scream filled the air. 

He lay sprawled on the ground, too terrified to move as Amaya knelt beside his head.

She raised her dagger.

That was when Yui knew. She was going to kill him. No, she’d known something was wrong right from the beginning. Usually, Amaya dealt with them calmly, using nothing but fierce words, only resorting to violence when necessary. But right now, she seemed to be just acting out of blind fury, with no regard for the consequences.

Yui widened her eyes. _The consequences…_ She suddenly remembered something Amaya had mentioned a while ago. That she wasn’t allowed to kill any of them because of political fallout. She didn’t know exactly what would happen but…she had to snap her out of it. 

Just as the dagger was about to plunge down, Yui willed away the stiffness in her limbs and found her voice.

“Amaya, stop!”

Those words caused Amaya to freeze, knuckles white against the grip of her blade. The tip of which shook as it hovered mere centimeters above Ayato’s eye.

For a long moment, nobody moved. Then, Amaya stood gradually and Yui could see that the rage had dissipated from her eyes. She took a deep breath and spoke quietly, her voice still dripping with coldness. 

“Yui just saved your sorry life, so you’d better be thankful to her.”

Ayato sat up shakily and glanced at her for a second but didn’t say anything. 

There was a heavy groan and Yui looked over to see Laito still lying on the ground, clutching his crippled arm. “Ugh…my arm…I think it’s broken.”

“Oh quit whining,” Amaya snapped at him. “You’re a vampire aren’t you? It’ll heal.”

Laito flinched, shocked into silence by her callous response.

Amaya narrowed her eyes, “Now get out of my sight.”

Quickly struggling to his feet, Ayato went over to help Laito up as well. He shot one last glare at them and then they were gone.

The room was silent except for the sound of running water. Amaya hadn’t moved and stood with her head down. She didn’t look angry anymore but was clearly still shaken.

Swallowing, Yui reached out nervously towards her. “Ama…”

Amaya took a small step back, still not looking at her. She gripped her own wrist feebly. Her dagger was held low in front of her, the edge still stained with blood… Ayato’s blood.

Yui’s voice caught in her throat and she lowered her hand.

After another long silence, Amaya finally spoke, although her voice sounded hollow and numb.

“…You’re…okay…?”

Yui nodded slowly, “Yeah, you were just in time.” She tried her best to sound like everything was fine, but it didn’t seem to ease the guilty look on Amaya’s face.

“The exit is this way.” She turned and briskly walked down the right side of the passage.

Yui had to hurry to catch up with her. They soon came to a door in the side of the wall which opened to reveal stairs that led back up to the house. Amaya walked with her back to her room, but still kept her distance. Once they were at her door, Yui tried again to reassure her but she still turned away. Without another word, Amaya turned and hurried away down the hall.

Feeling her heart sink, Yui stood there for a while, staring at the direction she had gone. She wanted to go after her, but if she needed space for now she had to respect that. Yui could only hope that some time alone would help Amaya calm down and she would be back to normal when she woke up. 

Sighing to herself, Yui opened the door to her room and went back to bed. She didn’t want to be alone after what had happened, but she tried her best to fall back asleep. Gazing longingly at the empty space beside her, Yui thought back to just a few hours ago. The soft feeling of Amaya’s lips against her own, her flustered expression afterwards, the comfort of holding her hand.

Yui bit her lip. This was only making her miss her even more. She reached over to pull the part of the blanket Amaya had used into her arms in an attempt to lessen the feeling of loneliness and buried her face into it.

_Amaya…please come back…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You've heard of tsundere hell now get ready for useless lesbian hell....which would totally be a type if lesbian otome existed. I am so sorry....  
> At least writing that fight scene was cathartic! (even though the part before it was literal hell)


End file.
